How was the Rosetta mission, a journey of 23 years and 7000 million kilometers – LA NACION (Argentina)

The project began in 1993 and in 2004 was launched to the space; it achieved its goal of reaching the comet 67P in 2014 and today crashed voluntarily on it

Photo of 2014 was created from the two images confirms that the small robot Philae is safely on the surface of comet 67P. Photo: ESA / EFE

The mission of the european probe Rosetta was concluded today. Made history by achieving the first landing of a module (“Philae”) on a comet and today ended his life by crashing voluntarily in him. It was a space adventure decided 23 years ago.

This trip of 7900 million kilometers, strewn with obstacles and surprises, mobilized for more than two decades to 14 european countries and the united States.

November 1993: green light for Rosetta

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The Rosetta probe crashed into the comet and ended his space odyssey 12 years

The Rosetta mission was approved in November 1993 by the European Space Agency (ESA) that seeks to understand the origins of life on Earth by analyzing the dust comment. They decide to do so “in situ” by means of a robot exploration, named Philae.

March 2004: objective 67P

More than 10 years after the start of the project, the Rosetta probe is launched into space aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from the european base of Kuru, in French Guyana. Its target: the comet 67P/Churiumov-Guerasimenko, known as “Churi”, in order to know the origins of the Solar System, and the key to the emergence of life on Earth. Comets contain the most ancient of the Universe.

June 2005: comet Tempel 1

Rosetta takes the first image of comet Tempel 1. That year meets the Land, and take advantage of its momentum gravity.

2005-2009: pool cosmic

To speed up your journey, Rosetta used the gravity fields of Earth and Mars. Will perform a true game of “billiards cosmic”, propelling himself forward thanks to the effect of “slingshot” gravitational pull of Earth and Mars. Approaching to the Earth in march 2005, November 2009 and Mars in February 2007.

Area press room below of a scale model of the Rosetta probe at the headquarters of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Darmstadt, Germany. Photo: Reuters / Ralph Orlowski

2010: among the asteroids

After rubbing Steins in 2008, and Rosetta flies in July 2010 Lutetia and take more than 400 pictures of the asteroid 100 km in diameter, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

2011-2014: long hibernation

The solar radiation is insufficient to power the batteries of their equipment. In June of 2011, Rosetta, which is 800 million kilometers from the Sun, is placed in the “artificial coma”, a hibernation of 957 days that will allow you to save energy. Continues his tour with all systems nearly shut down. Only remain switched on the onboard computer and several heaters, which periodically heat up automatically to prevent freezing, moving away from the Sun.

August 2014: meeting with Churi

In January 2014, the probe wakes up and resumes its journey toward the comet. Thanks to its 11 instruments of measurement and observation, begins to scan its surface. On 6 August, Rosetta has traveled a total of more than 6000 million kilometres, is placed in orbit around Churi for escorting him on his journey to the Sun.

artistic Recreation of the landing of the Rosetta probe on the surface of the 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko. Photo: ESA / ATG / DPA

November 2014: Philae on the comet

After ten years of travel as a passenger of Rosetta, seven hours of flight and bounce two times, the small module Philae lands in November 2014 in the nucleus of the comet 67P, a milestone in the history of the conquest of space. Equipped with a dozen instruments of scientific observation, the robot manages to work for about 60 hours, before it shut down due to lack of sufficient sunlight to charge its batteries.

June 2015: mission extended

The ESA extends to June 2015 the Rosetta mission for nine months, until the end of September 2016.

Philae wakes up after seven months of hibernation, and communicates several times with Rosetta. The eighth and last contact recorded on the 9 of July, but it is unknown its exact location. Since then, the robot laboratory has remained silent.

Collage courtesy of the European Space Agency, which collected some of the best photos taken by the Rosetta probe to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Photo: ESA / DPA

August 2015: close to the Sun

When, in August 2015 the comet 67P reaches its perihelion, i.e. the point of its orbit closest to the Sun (186 million km), the probe is located in the first row to observe the jets of gas and dust projected by the comet.

2016: last contact with Philae

Scientists and technicians were watching the end of the mission in the control room of the European Space Agency in Darmstadt, Germany. Photo: AP / Michael Probst

The european probe, whose solar panels are gaining more and less light, short his last communication with the little robot with the goal of saving power. The September 2, 2016, less than a month of the end of its mission, Rosetta achieved, thanks to your camera Osiris, locate Philae, whose trace had been lost since the landing.

on The 30th of September the mission of the Rosetta probe of ESA completes its mission.

Agencies AFP and EFE