ARLA/CLUSTER: Sonda Rosetta já está perto do cometa 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

João Costa > CT1FBF ct1fbf gmail.com
Quinta-Feira, 31 de Julho de 2014 - 13:51:21 WEST


Rosetta's comet rendezvous

On 6 August, after a decade-long journey through space, ESA’s Rosetta
will become the first spacecraft in history to rendezvous with a
comet.

Since its launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on 2
March 2004, Rosetta has travelled more than six billion kilometres,
passing by Earth three times and Mars once, and flying past two
asteroids.

For the most distant part of the journey, when it travelled out to the
orbit of Jupiter, Rosetta was put into deep-space hibernation for 31
months, waking up on 20 January 2014 for the final leg of its epic
journey to Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

Now, with less than 10 000 km to go, Rosetta is preparing to arrive at
its destination.

After rendezvous on 6 August, Rosetta will accompany the comet around
the Sun and as it moves back out towards the orbit of Jupiter. The
lander, Philae, will be delivered to the comet’s surface in November
2014.



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