Service important in the solar system - BBC

European Space Agency today listening to the silence of space all waiting for awakening after three years of hibernation device “Rosetta”, which flies to the comet to land on her landing probe.

Monday in space should work “essential Service in the solar system”, as they call this event the European Space Agency. At 14.00 MSK after nearly three years of “hibernation” wake spacecraft “Rosetta”, the purpose of which is closer to the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Waking

space pilgrim to the European Operations Centre in Darmstadt gathered many guests and journalists.

Still – on the machine wakes up or not depends on the fate of one of the longest and richest in the history of space missions, during which it is planned to carry out what the scientists could only dream of: a drop lander on the comet active.

history of this mission began in 1990, and her fate had already been several successes and dramatic twists. Explore the comet using landing probe – an old dream of astronomers. Despite the fact that they observed since ancient times, and in recent years to do it help powerful ground-based telescopes and sophisticated space observatories, much in the behavior and structure of comets, it remains unclear to scientists.

With wings, volcanoes and the nature of the flare

As we approach the Sun Comet ISON start flashing and lose pieces. Scientists are wondering survive the icy wanderer hot meeting. ?

Recall a recent controversy on how collapsed flown next to the Sun Comet ISON.

European Space Agency approved the mission in 1993 after the success of the study Halley’s comet Soviet, Japanese and European spacecraft. Initially the aim was chosen comet Wirtanen, the launch was scheduled for 2003, and closer to the comet to be held in 2011. However, in December 2002 due to engine failure Ariane rocket launch had to be postponed and change goals of the expedition.

mission received its name in honor of the Rosetta stone, which allowed once decipher Egyptian writing. Scientists hope that the success of the probe will allow significant progress in understanding the processes that took place during the formation of the solar system.

Start in March 2004, a new addition to the main goal, scientists have come up with two probe targets – on the way to explore a couple of bodies from the main asteroid belt, which lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. But even to go beyond the inner solar system, had to work hard.

More precisely, the “work” had two planets – Earth and Mars, next to which “Rosetta” made whole four gravity maneuver.

«Asteroid proved debris»

These spacecraft “Rosetta”, which pass near large asteroid Lutetia, have shown that this small planet – one of the … ?

This allowed her to escape from the sun, saving the propellant, and be on the path towards catching up to the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. On this animation can visualize the entire path apparatus for 12 years.

second gravity assist from Earth allowed the probe to reach the main asteroid belt and September 5, 2008 to meet with the first target – asteroid Steins rare E-type. While European engineers had never tried to apply the technique of optical probe guidance on the most asteroid. At the time of closest approach “Rosetta” flew past the asteroid at a distance of 800 km with a relative velocity of 8.6 km / c.

A July 10, 2010 “Rosetta” came up to his second goal – the asteroid Lutetia, which is about 10 times larger than the asteroid Steins. Because the asteroid could be observed for a few days before and a few hours after the rendezvous, scientists have obtained important information about the nature of this heavily cratered belt object ( «Times” wrote about the results of these observations ).

By accelerating apparatus near the asteroid unable to determine its mass – it was equal to 1.7 * 10 ¹⁸ kg, which is 3 million times smaller than the mass of the Earth. Spectral studies have shown,

that this asteroid is quite old age of at least 4.5 billion years and has hondritnuyu structure covered with regolith granular layer reaches several hundred meters thick.

said goodbye to the asteroids in the 2011 probe headed toward the orbit of Jupiter. To save energy, powered only by sunlight, he was inducted into sleep mode –

its batteries deployed on the Sun and for the stability given small rotation. All electrical system except computer and several heaters were turned off.

Phenomenal

observatory that would turn everything

Russian rocket sent the penumbra of the Earth European Observatory, which will create a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way. “Times” … ?

January 20, after 31 months after the trip, the sunlight will be missed again to power the device, so this day and were wound watches, awaken his stuffing. Immediately after the alarm start to warm sun sensors, which takes about six hours. After that, the rocket engines will stop rotating and the machine will have to determine its position in space. Once this happens, turn the probe antenna to Earth and begins to transmit signals.

Since the distance to the “Rosetta” is 807 million km, the signal from it will go 45 minutes.

First

signal the successful revival in the world are waiting between 21.30-22.30 MSK.

Big Ear

For the first signal with “Rosetta” will involve “a large ear» NASA – 70-meter dish space station tracking space far Goldstone. Immediately after connecting European experts try to assess the technical condition of the probe and how much energy yield of solar cells.

In the following months

experts will monitor the situation of the probe and its operability of devices, and in May will be filed with the braking command to align its speed with the speed of a comet. Out on 20-kilometer orbit around the nucleus of the comet in August 2014, “Rosetta” will mapping ice blocks to select a landing site lander “Fila».

flooded Jupiter comet

Astronomers have long been able to solve the riddle of their worry. They proved that water brought it into Jupiter’s atmosphere in 1994 the comet Shoemaker – Levy. ?

itself landing on a comet will be a unique experiment: after scientists choose a suitable place, the whole process will go further in the automatic mode.

In November station drops to a height of 3 km, and from the low speed separates the lander that will try to gain a foothold on the surface, shooting special harpoon.

for Germany Bengardta, an astronomer at the Institute of exploration of the solar system at the Max Planck, this moment will be the moment of truth. According to him, the scientists know so little about comets that are unsure whether the probe will be able to gain a foothold on the surface. “Fila” is designed to be fixed on the surface of the solid as a table or as soft as powder snow. We hope that the surface of the comet is somewhere “- he said.

For astronomers

comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a valuable source of information about the earliest stages of formation of the solar system. It was formed earlier than most asteroids 4.6 billion years ago,

Comet broke on laboratory

Life on Earth could occur when hitting the cosmic body, and here, on our planet. To prove this, the scientists had to break the comet … ?

even before the firstborn substance stuck to form the Earth and neighboring planets.

presence of trace organics and ice on the comet may shed light on questions about where life originated on Earth. During “nakometnyh” experiments, the researchers examined samples of gases and particles escaping from its nucleus as it approaches the sun and evaporation of ice. Will be studied by the isotopic composition of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, in nuclei. A enlightened core X-rays, scientists try to recreate the internal structure of comets.

According to scientists, the lander will be able to survive the convergence of the comet with the Sun, but its electronics – hardly. But even a dead attached device can make the comet a few turns around the sun, lasting six years, until the surface of the top layer to evaporate the ice. “In the end, we lose our grip and leave the soil from under our feet,” – said Bengardt.