The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Scientific consortia from institutes across Europe and the United States provided the different instruments of the orbiter. Rosetta’s industrial team involved more than 50 contractors from 14 European countries and the USA. The prime spacecraft contractor was Astrium Germany. Major subcontractors were Astrium UK who built the spacecraft platform, Astrium France who supplied the spacecraft avionics and Alcatel Alenia Spazio for assembly, integration and verification.
Rosetta's 11 instruments include several cameras, spectrometers and a number of sensors and experiments:
ALICE, Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer
CONSERT, Comet Nucleus Sounding Experiment by Radio Wave Transmission
COSIMA, Cometary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser
GIADA, Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator
MIDAS, Micro-Imaging Dust Analysis System
MIRO, Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter
OSIRIS, Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System
ROSINA, Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis
RPC, Rosetta Plasma Consortium : Ion Composition Analyser, Ion and Electron Sensor, Langmuir Probe, Fluxgate Magnetometer, Mutual Impedance Probe, Plasma Interface Unit
RSI, Radio Science Investigation
VIRTIS, Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer