Editing Rosetta (spacecraft) (section)

== Mission overview ==
[[File:67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko - Rosetta (32755885495).png|thumb|left|[[67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko|Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko]] in March 2015 as imaged by ''Rosetta'', enhanced colour]]
''Rosetta'' was launched on 2 March 2004 from the [[Guiana Space Centre]] in [[Kourou]], [[French Guiana]], on an [[Ariane 5]] rocket and reached Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 7 May 2014.<ref name="Bauer2014">{{Cite web |last=Bauer |first=M. |date=6 August 2014 |title=Rosetta Arrives at Comet Destination |url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Rosetta/Rosetta_arrives_at_comet_destination |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240928154315/https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Rosetta/Rosetta_arrives_at_comet_destination |archive-date=28 September 2024 |access-date=28 May 2017 |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] }}</ref> It performed a series of manoeuvres to enter orbit between then and 6 August 2014,<ref name="OCM" /> when it became the first spacecraft to orbit a comet.<ref name="Fischer2014-08-06">{{cite web |url=http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2014/0806-fischer-rendezvous-with-a-crazy-world.html |title=Rendezvous with a crazy world |publisher=[[The Planetary Society]] |first=D. |last=Fischer |date=6 August 2014 |access-date=6 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806210446/http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2014/0806-fischer-rendezvous-with-a-crazy-world.html |archive-date=6 August 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Bauer2014" /><ref name="Lakdawalla2014-08-15">{{cite web |url=http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2014/08150814-finding-my-way-around-cg.html |title=Finding my way around comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko |publisher=[[The Planetary Society]] |first=Emily |last=Lakdawalla |author-link=Emily Lakdawalla |date=15 August 2014 |access-date=15 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815234826/http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2014/08150814-finding-my-way-around-cg.html |archive-date=15 August 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> ([[List of missions to comets|Previous missions]] had conducted successful flybys of seven other comets.)<ref name="techtimes20141014">{{Cite news |last=Algar |first=Jim |date=14 October 2014 |title=Rosetta's lander Philae snaps selfie with comet |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/17887/20141014/rosetta-s-lander-philae-snaps-selfie-with-comet.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415053635/https://www.techtimes.com/articles/17887/20141014/rosetta-s-lander-philae-snaps-selfie-with-comet.htm |archive-date=15 April 2024 |access-date=19 October 2014 |work=Tech Times }}</ref> It was one of ESA's [[List of projects of the European Space Agency#Horizon 2000 (1985)|Horizon 2000 cornerstone missions]].<ref name="NASA-201401017">{{Cite web |editor-last=Agle |editor-first=DC |editor2-last=Cook |editor2-first=Jia-Rui |editor3-last=Bauer |editor3-first=Markus |last1=Agle |first1=D. C. |last2=Cook |first2=Jia-Rui |last3=Brown |first3=Dwayne |last4=Bauer |first4=Markus |date=17 January 2014 |title=Rosetta: To Chase a Comet |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/rosetta-to-chase-a-comet/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004095058/https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/rosetta-to-chase-a-comet/ |archive-date=4 October 2024 |access-date=18 January 2014 |publisher=[[NASA]] / [[JPL]] |id=2014-015 }}</ref> The spacecraft consisted of the ''Rosetta'' orbiter, which featured 12 instruments, and the ''Philae'' lander, with nine additional instruments.<ref name="ESA">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta at a glance |url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Rosetta2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241014173105/https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Rosetta2 |archive-date=14 October 2024 |access-date=4 October 2010 |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] }}</ref> The ''Rosetta'' mission orbited Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko for 17 months and was designed to complete the most detailed study of a comet ever attempted. The spacecraft was controlled from the [[European Space Operations Centre]] (ESOC), in [[Darmstadt]], Germany.<ref name="cnn-20140121">{{Cite news |last1=Pearson |first1=Michael |last2=Smith |first2=Matt |date=21 January 2014 |title=Comet-chasing probe wakes up, calls home |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/20/world/europe/rosetta-comet-probe/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209115744/https://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/20/world/europe/rosetta-comet-probe/index.html |archive-date=9 December 2023 |access-date=21 January 2014 |work=[[CNN]] }}</ref> The planning for the operation of the scientific payload, together with the data retrieval, calibration, archiving and distribution, was performed from the [[European Space Astronomy Centre]] (ESAC), in [[Villanueva de la Cañada]], near [[Madrid]], Spain.<ref name="ESAC2014">{{Cite web |last=Bauer |first=Markus |date=3 September 2014 |title=RSGS: The Rosetta Science Ground Segment |url=https://sci.esa.int/web/rosetta/-/43349-rsgs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823053626/https://sci.esa.int/web/rosetta/-/43349-rsgs |archive-date=23 August 2024 |access-date=20 November 2014 |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] }}</ref> It has been estimated that in the decade preceding 2014, some 2,000 people assisted in the mission in some capacity.<ref name="techrep" />

In 2007, ''Rosetta'' made a Mars [[gravity assist]] (flyby) on its way to Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko.<ref name="Mars fly-by">{{cite news |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Beautiful_new_images_from_Rosetta_s_approach_to_Mars_OSIRIS_UPDATE |title=Beautiful new images from Rosetta's approach to Mars: OSIRIS Update |publisher=European Space Agency |first1=Uwe |last1=Keller |first2=Gerhard |last2=Schwehm |date=25 February 2007}}</ref> The spacecraft also performed two [[asteroid]] flybys.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Rosetta Mission: Flying Towards the Origin of the Solar System |journal=Space Science Reviews |first1=Karl-Heinz |last1=Glassmeier |first2=Hermann |last2=Boehnhardt |first3=Detlef |last3=Koschny |first4=Ekkehard |last4=Kührt |first5=Ingo |last5=Richter |volume=128 |issue=1–4 |pages=1–21 |date=February 2007 |doi=10.1007/s11214-006-9140-8 |bibcode=2007SSRv..128....1G|s2cid=119512857 }}</ref> The craft completed its flyby of asteroid [[2867 Šteins]] in September 2008 and of [[21 Lutetia]] in July 2010.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11470851 |title=Asteroid Lutetia has thick blanket of debris |work=BBC News |first=Jonathan |last=Amos |date=4 October 2010 |access-date=21 January 2014}}</ref> Later, on 20 January 2014, ''Rosetta'' was taken out of a 31-month [[Hibernation (spacecraft)|hibernation mode]] as it approached Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko.<ref name="AP-20140120new">{{cite news |url=http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140120/DABEMKSO3.html |title=Comet-chasing probe sends signal to Earth |work=Excite News |agency=Associated Press |first=Frank |last=Jordans |date=20 January 2014 |access-date=20 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202141305/http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140120/DABEMKSO3.html |archive-date=2 February 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="latimes20140120">{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-rosetta-comet-probe-20140120-story.html |title=Rise and shine Rosetta! Comet-hunting spacecraft gets wake-up call |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |series=Science Now |first=Monte |last=Morin |date=20 January 2014 |access-date=21 January 2014}}</ref>

''Rosetta''{{'s}} ''Philae'' lander successfully made the first soft landing on a [[comet nucleus]] when it touched down on Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 12 November 2014.<ref name="NASA-20141112-DCA">{{cite web |url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2014-394 |title=Rosetta's 'Philae' Makes Historic First Landing on a Comet |publisher=NASA |first1=D. C. |last1=Agle |first2=Guy |last2=Webster |first3=Dwayne |last3=Brown |first4=Markus |last4=Bauer |date=12 November 2014 |access-date=13 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20141112-KC">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/science/space/european-space-agencys-spacecraft-lands-on-comets-surface.html |title=European Space Agency's Spacecraft Lands on Comet's Surface |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=Kenneth |last=Chang |date=12 November 2014 |access-date=12 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.sky.com/story/rosetta-comet-probe-beams-back-pictures-10382846 |title=Rosetta: Comet Probe Beams Back Pictures |publisher=Sky News |date=12 November 2014 |access-date=12 November 2014}}</ref> On 5 September 2016, ESA announced that the lander was discovered by the narrow-angle camera aboard ''Rosetta'' as the orbiter made a low, {{convert|2.7|km|mi|abbr=on}} pass over the comet. The lander sits on its side wedged into a dark crevice of the comet, explaining the lack of electrical power to establish proper communication with the orbiter.<ref name="Philaefound" />