The Rosetta spacecraft without thermal blankets

The Rosetta spacecraft without thermal blankets ready for vibration testing on the shaker, at ESTEC in The Netherlands.

Temperature control was a major headache for the designers of the Rosetta spacecraft. Near the Sun, overheating has to be prevented by using radiators to dissipate surplus heat into space. In the outer Solar System, the hardware and scientific instruments must be kept war (especially when in hibernation) to ensure their survival.