After successfully waking up on January 20th, the Rosetta spacecraft is now preparing for its rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This video is a status update for this adventurous and challenging comet-chasing mission.
Between now and May, Rosetta will start slowing down. As the first camera images will help improve calculations of the comet’s position, orbit, size, shape and rotation, the team will initially try and avoid any comet dust. Rosetta will then be another step close to becoming the first spacecraft to fly alongside and orbit a comet, as well as the first mission to make a controlled landing onto a comet’s surface.
The video includes interviews in English with: Andrea Accomazzo, Spacecraft Operations Manager, ESA ; Paolo Ferri, Head of Mission Operations, ESA; Armelle Hubault, Spacecraft Operations Engineer, ESA ; Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General, ESA ; Matt Taylor, Project Scientist, ESA.