Comet approach

Rosetta’s 12 year expedition begins in February 2004, with an Ariane-5 launch from Kourou in French Guiana. The three-tonne spacecraft will first be inserted into a parking orbit, before being sent on its way towards the outer Solar System.

Comet Approach: as Rosetta drifts towards the heart of the comet, the mission team will try to achieve good comet illumination conditions, in order to study the dynamic properties of the comet in great detail: the first camera images will dramatically improve calculations of the comet’s position and orbit, as well as its size, shape and rotation. The relative velocities of the spacecraft and comet will gradually be reduced, slowing to 2 m/s after about 90 days.