Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has now passed perihelion (its closest distance to the Sun) and is now spending several weeks at peak activity. This activity is unpredictable so the flight operations team must be prepared to react to fast jets of dust and gas erupting from the comet or stray boulders ejected from its surface.
The film covers how ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, is monitoring the comet’s activity, how quickly the Rosetta spacecraft can respond, and the orbiter’s plans to spiral down towards the surface of the comet at the end of its mission in September 2016.
The A-roll contains footage from ESOC at perihelion and interview clips from Andrea Accomazzo, Rosetta Flight Director, ESA (English) and Paulo Ferri, Head of Mission Operations, ESA (English).