After two and a half years of planned hibernation in deep space, today, at 11 am, four internal alarms awaken from their slumber to the Rosetta spacecraft, which is about 810 million miles from Earth. It is the distance traveled during the decade that has passed since his extraordinary journey began in March 2004. The probe will take several hours to stretch and warm enough to be able to communicate with Earth, eagerly awaiting a signal engineers from the European Space Agency (ESA), eager to prove she’s still alive.
spacecraft finally prepare for the great object of his mission: to explore for the first time a comet, a celestial objects that scientists believe that information about the origin of our solar system is conserved. And is that the famous Rosetta stone allowed archaeologists to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics, scientists hope that this will help them to probe clarify one of the great mysteries of astrophysics.
“As soon receive the signal to 18.30 on Monday, although it could be later, because we do not know how long you need to warm up, operate their instruments and point the antenna toward Earth. We know what went into hibernation, but not how it will go, “admits Alvaro Giménez Cañete WORLD, director of the scientific program and robotic exploration of the ESA.
6,200 million kilometers
Once you get to Earth to show that the signal is awake and active, the next two months will be devoted to perform a check to check the status of the 11 instruments of the Rosetta probe and 10 installed in the module Landing after his long journey Philae (was covered more than 6,200 million kilometers) ridden maneuvers.
Since 2004 he has completed five laps of the Sun using the gravity of Earth and Mars to push up 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet, culminating in a mission during which he has also studied two asteroids: Steins in 2008 and Lutetia in 2010. 957 days ago extinguished all instruments except the onboard computer and several heaters, essential to cross deep space, and entered the hibernation state which is expected to go today.
Once you find that is in good shape, begin the approach to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to carry out the first scan which is done one of these celestial objects: “We have had to go far because we want to approach a comet when it is not active, and for that we must move away from the Sun, because as they approach him begin to heat and emit gas, dust, etc.. “says Gimenez. “Precisely because the comet is far away, Rosetta is equipped with two large solar panels” [each measuring 14 meters in length, with a total area of ??64 m2].
The first images of the comet were obtained in May, and they can accurately calculate its position and orbit of this celestial body. The approach will occur in August when completed nine million miles to get ahead: “As soon as we can, we will map the comet to prepare landing [of Philae module on board], which will be in October or November “details.
“The comet nucleus is like a huge rock of ice, although its size is not very large. The rest is material to be driving, “explains the scientist, who admits that know how to be active when you arrive 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Rosetta and if the landing module Philae small be possible , which weighs about 100 kilograms, “Do we really know how you will spend this phase of the mission because we do not know what your soil and has never done anything like this. But you have to do difficult things that have never been done. The lander is small and the gravity is so low that, when launched, will be like a sheet of paper you drop to the ground. It has a sort of hook or stud, as those used for fastening the ice, to be engaged in the surface of the kite to not bounce “compared.
Journey to the Sun
ESA scientist responsible for ensuring, however, that “the most interesting part of the mission is not landing module but will make the trip with him to the Sun” for over a year, as the ship will remain in orbit around the comet. And if they have passed the perihelion (closest point to the sun) will accompany the probe for another six months, “going to witness in situ how it operates. And this is very important from a scientific point of view, we do not know how comets become active. “
Astrophysicists believe that comets are remnants during the origin of our solar system did not become part of the planets: “They are not pristine material that formed planets, ie has not been polluted by planetary geological evolution which amended the rocks. So we are interested in both, “he explains.
also expected that this mission will help them understand where the water comes from the Earth. “The theory of solar system formation says that the Earth should not have water because it is too close to the sun and must have been lost in the gas phase. So where did it come from? It is thought that one of the components that have made water was the bombing of the Earth by comets and asteroids far “he explains. “We want to see what kind of water is in comets, ie, its isotopic composition to check if it is in our planet.”Despite the valuable information that comets contain the origin of the solar system, so far had not visited any comet. What little scientists know about them is because they have made the approximations these bodies to Earth: “Practically only know Halley, which was observed by the Giotto spacecraft , which was launched in 1985 and the following year studied this comet as it approached the Earth. “
Rosetta will witness for the first time in the history of how the sun’s heat transforms the surface of a comet. But everything depends on the probe wake. The ESA, which has invested about a billion euros in this ambitious mission, has organized an active campaign, Wake up, Rosetta! for citizens to know what this project involved sending video to wake the ship, a move that its scientists will broadcast live on the Internet today.
No comments:
Post a Comment