Slowing down to a crawl: The precision of comet navigation
In short: To study a comet, you must first master the art of deceleration. This video captures Rosetta's critical orbital maneuvers as it prepares to transition from high-speed travel to a near-stationary observation point.
Between May 21 and August 5, the ESA spacecraft Rosetta underwent a series of nine thruster burns designed to drastically reduce its relative speed. To reach comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the craft needed to decrease its velocity from 750 metres per second down to a mere one metre per second.
These maneuvers were essential for closing the gap between the spacecraft and the comet from one million kilometres to less than 200 kilometres. The mission also utilized the OSIRIS camera to gather early imagery, which helped refine these orbital corrections while preparing the MIRO instrument to measure gases released as the comet nears the Sun.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Rosetta puts on the brakes
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/space-rosetta-puts-on-the-brakes.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Astronomy · More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics
