PARIS, France (Reuters) – After ten years traveling the Solar System, the probe Rosetta early August reached its destination, the comet 67 / P Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and now must select the ideal landing spot for the month of November between five possible locations.
“The landing area must meet the technical needs of the satellite and lander during the phases of separation, descent and landing, “the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a statement.
The probe launched Philae module, unit 100 kilos that will land on the surface, even when the comet is at a distance of 450 million kilometers from the Sun, before their activity “to a level that could jeopardize the operation or alter the composition of the surface. “
The place” must be relevant to the operations of the surface that carries 10 scientific instruments Philae “, experts said ESA.
For each possible landing site must be analyzed such factors as whether the lander will be able to maintain proper liaison with Rosetta, the presence of hazards such as large rocks, deep cracks or steep slopes.
Scientists that control the device from Toulouse in the south of France, have selected five possible candidates in the at least six hours of sunlight during each rotation of the comet, proper lighting conditions “for scientific observations and to recharge the battery module landing without actually overheat HD pictures of the surface. “
To make the final decision data collected by the probe 100 to 20 kilometers of the comet as discussed” measures Comet temperature and pressure and density of the gas surrounding its core. “
” In parallel, we also determined the orientation of the comet from the Sun, its rotational speed, mass and surface gravity. All these factors play an important role to study the technical feasibility of each possible landing role, “said ESA.
The 14th September will be over the assessment of the five candidates and a destination and an alternate, to be announced on 12 October, a month before the provisional date of landing, November 11 will be chosen.
“This comet is unlike anything we have seen before, and spectacular formations has not finished yet understand, “said one of the scientists of the lander, Jean-Pierre Bibring.
The mission Rosetta , technological pride European space exploration, may be key to deciphering the history and evolution of our Solar System and to find “answers to the origin of water on Earth.
” And perhaps even life, ” because comets are “time capsules still contain materials of the time in which the sun and planets formed,” summarized the ESA
Kaynak. asteroid science space probe Rosetta, nasa, esa, Philae, module, research, 67 / P Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet
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