Interplanetary probe Rosetta performed third key maneuver and photographed the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Before meeting with the station Rosetta comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, only a few weeks. Under the plan, the station should meet with a comet in August, but for a successful meeting with comet station, followed by the release of the probe Philae (probe on board the station) on the surface of the outer body, the speed of the station should be significantly reduced.

As mentioned earlier, to reset the speed planned three key and some auxiliary, if I may say so, the maneuver. Total planned three key maneuver (done) and 5 "secondary" (to be done), the relative velocity with discharge station (relative - to the comet) with 775 meters per second to about a meter per second. During the third reset speed maneuver, June 18, the rate dropped to 88, 7 meters per second, the engines were working at the same station for more than two hours, 136 minutes.

Incidentally, Rosetta longer "sees" comet, here's a snapshot, полученный another 4-June.



The distance between the station and the comet at that time was about 430 thousand kilometers. Now it's half the distance, and continues to decline.


Video story about the Rosetta mission station and the model of landing a probe on the surface of the comet. I>

Hopefully, the remaining 5 small maneuvers station is successful, and the probe Philae will land on the surface of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Here's how it might look:







Images taken отсюда.

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/226927/