Peak of the reboot signal from the Rosetta Spacecraft, seen through a Spectrum Analyzer.
The Rosetta Spacecraft, which has flown through space for the last 10 years, is now successfully booted up, and a signal has finally been received by the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Space Operations Center (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany.
The 3-tons heavy alarm clock (on Earth), that should be able to wake up the whole system from its’ hibernation period, is also designed to withstand more than a total of 15 years of operation in Space, while staying stable and provide the needed power for the spacecraft. The module is designed and made in Denmark, by the company Terma A/S, and therefore the tension was extra high in the hours of the calculated signal receiving window, at the offices in Aarhus, Denmark. This module is the main power-supply for the whole Rosetta Spacecraft, and by that has the very important and critical task to secure power for the computers, heating systems, etc. to function during the whole mission.
Takeoff of an Ariane-5 Rocket
Rosetta was launched in March 2004, via an Ariane-5 rocket, to perform a detailed study of the comet, named “67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko”, and by that also a part of the ESA Horizon 2000 missions. The goal of this mission is still to successfully orbit, and land on a comet for the first time. The Rosetta Spacecraft is set to reach its’ target, the comet, in August 2014, and therefore the booting process has now begun. This specific booting signal from Rosetta was of very significance, because alternatively ESA would have to launch a new spacecraft to move the same 10 years once again.
This specific spacecraft consists of two elements, the “Rosetta Space Probe”, which is designed to orbit the comet, and the “Philae”-lander, which is designed to land on the surface of the comet.
Rosetta Spacecraft, and Rosetta Space Probe
On-board the Rosetta Space Probe is a total of 12 instruments, which all will be used to do the research of the comet, during orbit of the comet. Those last 10 years have not only been waiting time though; during the cruise towards the real goal – it has also investigated two asteroids, as so-called flyby missions. The data from these two, and especially the last mission in August 2014, will be used to better understand how the universe originated, and also how we later prevent objects from space to hit the Earth, such as comets and asteroids, which could ultimately cause the end of our civilization.
Philae, detached from the Rosetta Spacecraft
The landing will be performed by the robotic “Philae”-lander, which will firstly detach from the Rosetta Space Probe, and do a safe and secure touchdown. Afterwards it begins to investigate the surface of the comet for at least one planned week, through the 9 attached instruments. Even though it is only planned to run for one week on the ground, it is possible to keep Philae running for several months, due to the fact that it only has to send the data from the ground to the orbiter, the Rosetta Space Probe, which will later beam it towards the Earth.
“Hello, world!”
— ESA Rosetta Mission (@ESA_Rosetta) January 20, 2014
Sources:
European Space Agency (ESA)