It is just over two years since Rosetta made its rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and now the end of the mission is in sight.
As the spacecraft and the comet head towards Jupiter, Rosetta is getting spectacularly close to the surface – up to three kilometres so far – allowing detailed views of the comet’s cliffs, boulders and plains, as well observing changes since the orbiter’s arrival. A ten tonne boulder, for instance, has moved by 140 metres, most likely due to activity during perihelion, when the comet was at its closest point to the Sun.
This film provides an overview of recent events in preparation for the mission’s end on 30 September, when Rosetta will spiral down to a landing site on the head of the duck shaped comet, performing science and taking images along the way.
It includes interviews with Carsten GÜTTLER, OSIRIS camera scientist, ESA (English and German); Fabrizzio CAPACCIONI, VIRTIS instrument Principal Investigator (English); Claire VALLAT, European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) liaison scientist, ESA (English and French)