Rosetta experiment reviews in progress
7 July 1998
Rosetta Experiment Intermediate Design Reviews (EIDR) started at the beginning of July and will be finished in October. At the EIDRs the design of the individual experiments of the Rosetta payload are reviewed by ESA.The Rosetta spacecraft will rendezvous with comet 46 P/Wirtanen as it makes ones of its periodic visits to the Sun. The spacecraft will map the comet's surface in fine detail and land a package of instruments (the Rosetta Lander) on it. Waltzing around the comet for many months, Rosetta will be able to watch its surface erupting in the warmth of the Sun. On-board instruments will analyse the effusions of dust and gas.
Scheduled for launch by Ariane-5 in January 2003, Rosetta will take eight years to reach its target. On the way it will inspect two asteroids (planned targets currently Mimistrobell and Rodari) at close quarters.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
