Objectives: Rosetta
will be launched on January 23, 2003 at 00:33:19 UTC.
After launch, it will head for Mars where it eill
perform a gravity assist on May 28, 2005 and return
for an Earth flyby on October 26, 2005. Following the
Earth flyby, Rosetta will head for a flyby of the
asteroid 4979 Otawara on July 10, 2006. This flyby
will be followed by another Earth flyby on October 27,
2007. This will be followed by a flyby of the asteroid
140 Siwa on July 23, 2008. Next, Rosetta will enter a
heliocentric drift towards the comet. The spacecraft
will then intercept the comet in August 2011 where it
will then go into an orbit around it. While in orbit,
the spacecraft will image the surface to find a landing
site for the Surface Science Package. Observations
will continue to take place through perihelion on July
9, 2013. |
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