[Space] ESA - Rosetta Comet Chaser - Update Thread

[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da Coyote74
Lavoro per una ditta che produce macchinari industriali per la lavorazione del vetro. Non centra un ca**o con i miei studi, ma per sopravvivere si fa questo ed altro Comunque ho intenzione di fare domanda presso l'Alenia e vediamo come va....

volevo farla anch'io (anche se sono informatico), ma roma, torino e taranto sono troppo lontani

[Coyote74]

Per me Torino non sarebbe lontano, anche se ci sarebbero una serie di problematiche da risolvere, visto che dovrei fare sicuramente il pendolare e quindi non so fino a quando potrei resistere. Comunque un'esperienza del genere mi affascina parecchio, anche a costo di sacrifici, visto che adesso ho il lavoro proprio vicino a casa (è per questo che l'ho scelto).

[GioFX]

Rosetta comet chaser to launch Thursday morning

Europe's vaunted $1 billion Rosetta comet explorer is poised to set off on its decade-long journey early Thursday morning. In the last major event before the final countdown begins, the Ariane 5 rocket rolled out of its assembly building to the launch pad Tuesday.

Rosetta launch timeline

[GioFX]

Rosetta mission set for launch

Posted: Tue, Feb 24 7:49 PM ET (0049 GMT)

Rosetta, ESA's ambitious mission to rendezvous with and land on a comet, is on track for a launch early Thursday. Rosetta is scheduled for launch at 2:36 am EST (0736 GMT) on an Ariane 5 booster from Kourou, French Guiana. The spacecraft, composed of an orbiter and a lander named Philae, will spend ten years traveling through the solar system, adjusting its trajectory through a series of flybys — three of Earth and one of Mars — before reaching the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta will then spend more than a year studying the comet and deploying Philae to land on the surface of the comet's nucleus. Rosetta was scheduled to launch in January 2003 on a mission to another comet, Wirtanen, but the launch was delayed to allow time to investigate an Ariane 5 launch failure in December 2002. The delay meant the spacecraft missed its narrow launch window, requiring ESA to redesign the mission to visit another comet.

[GioFX]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2004

Europe's vaunted $1 billion Rosetta comet explorer is poised to set off on its decade-long journey early Thursday morning from the same South American launch site that hosted the start of the continent's first deep space mission 19 years ago.

In the last major event before the final countdown begins, the Ariane 5 rocket rolled out of its assembly building to the launch pad Tuesday.

A year later than first planned, Rosetta is due to begin its lengthy voyage Thursday at 0736:49 GMT (2:36:49 a.m. EST) from the ELA-3 launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana.

Overall, officials have until March 17 to get Rosetta off the ground or else await another launch opportunity.

It will take more than two hours for Rosetta to be delivered into a solar orbit that will see it intercept Earth again next March for a pivotal gravity assist fly-by.

Rosetta will be setting off toward comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, an icy space rock the size of a small town that was selected for investigation last spring after the first opportunity to send Rosetta to another comet was passed up due to concerns with the reliability of its Ariane 5 rocket.

Before arriving in orbit around the comet in the summer of 2014, the Rosetta probe will swing by Earth three times and Mars once to put it on course to intercept Churyuomov-Gerasimenko when it dips back into the inner solar system in the next decade.

Rosetta will also be put in a hibernation period from July 2011 to January 2014 when all systems except the main computer will be switched off.

Once in orbit, Rosetta will drop a small 200-pound lander onto the surface to carry out its own experiments. The orbiter will continue observations of the primordial space rock for several months until late 2015 when the comet makes its closest approach to the Sun.

After the 6,743-pound Rosetta was attached to the Ariane 5 upper stage February 16, the two halves of the Ariane's payload fairing were placed around the probe on February 18.

The storable propellant upper stage was filled with its load of hydrazine fuel and nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer last Thursday, February 19, followed the next day by a final countdown and launch rehearsal for the team.

Senior officials gathered on Monday to confirm the readiness of the vehicle for flight. Having issued formal permission to proceed with preparations, additional work was done to ready the rocket to roll to the launch pad Tuesday.

The final countdown will get underway Wednesday at 2007 GMT (3:07 p.m. EST). A check of electrical systems is scheduled to occur at 0007 GMT Thursday (7:07 p.m. EST Wednesday). At 0247 GMT (9:47 p.m. EST), super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants will begin flowing into the Ariane 5's massive cryogenic first stage to fuel its single Vulcain powerplant. A chilldown of the Vulcain engine will take place at about 0417 GMT (11:17 p.m. EST). A final check of connections between the launcher and telemetry, tracking, and command systems is slated for around 0627 GMT (1:27 a.m. EST).

If all systems are deemed ready for launch, controllers will allow the countdown to enter a computer-controlled phase known as the synchronized launch sequence seven minutes prior to liftoff. Following this critical milestone is a series of fast-paced events culminating with ignition of the Vulcain main engine when the count reaches zero. The twin solid rocket boosters will fire to life seven seconds later, followed immediately by liftoff.

Flight 158 will follow a unique launch profile on its mission to place Rosetta on an Earth escape trajectory and into solar orbit. The solid-fueled boosters will burn for two minutes, 20 seconds before jettisoning. The nose cone shielding Rosetta from the elements is let go about a minute later. The first stage's Vulcain main engine will continue to fire until about ten minutes into flight, when it will shut down having consumed all its fuel.

In a departure from the vast majority of Ariane 5 launches, the upper stage will enter a long coast phase before finally igniting over the Pacific Ocean nearly two hours after liftoff. Burning for 17 minutes, it will inject Rosetta onto the initial course that will ultimately see it arrive in the vicinity of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in about 123 months. Separation of the spacecraft from the upper stage is expected about two hours and 15 minutes into the flight.

Flight 158 will mark the 162nd Ariane launch overall since 1979, and the first for the rocket in 2004. It also will be the 18th use of the Ariane 5 rocket since being originally introduced in 1996.

Stay with Spaceflight Now for live play-by-play updates during the launch of the Ariane 5 rocket with Rosetta.

[GioFX]

Flight 158

February 24: Ariane 5 is in the launch zone with its Rosetta payload

The ELA-3 launch zone at Europe's Spaceport is once again alive with activity following the rollout of Flight 158's Ariane 5 this morning.

Emerging into the sunlight at 3:30 p.m., the completed Ariane 5 moved along a 2.8-km.-long dual rail line that links the Final Assembly Building with the launch zone.

Flight 158's Ariane 5 Generic vehicle is installed on a massive mobile launch table, which was locked into position in the ELA-3 launch zone after its arrival at approximately 4:20 p.m. This positioned it over large flame ducts that direct exhaust from Ariane 5's two solid rocket motors and the core stage's Vulcain cryogenic main engine.

Liftoff of Flight 158 will occur in the early morning hours of February 26. This mission uses a very specific launch slot instead of the typical launch window for Ariane 5 missions that carry geostationary satellite payloads. Because of the unique mission profile with the Rosetta comet-intercept spacecraft, the exact launch time has been set for 49 seconds past 4:36 a.m.

The duration of Flight 158 also is unusual for an Ariane 5 mission. After liftoff, booster separation and burnout of the central core stage, Ariane 5's EPS upper stage will enter a prolonged ballistic phase, followed by its delayed ignition at almost 2 hours after liftoff. Rosetta will then be separated from the stage approximately 14 minutes later, embarking on an Earth escape trajectory that will lead to its encounter with Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014.

Rosetta was developed in a European Space Agency program and was built by an industrial team involving more than 50 contractors from 14 European countries and the United States. The prime spacecraft contractor is Astrium Germany, and major subcontractors are Astrium UK (for the spacecraft platform), Astrium France (spacecraft avionics) and Alenia Spazio (assembly, integration and verification).

[GioFX]

Rosetta - Launch Live Webcast

[GioFX]

Flight 158 - February 25

Final countdown underway for Ariane 5 and Rosetta



All is on schedule for tomorrow's early morning liftoff of Arianespace Flight 158, with the countdown proceeding on schedule at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

Both the Ariane 5 and its Rosetta comet-intercept spacecraft are "green" for launch as the preparations enter their final phase.

Today was another sunny day in French Guiana, and the weather forecast for tomorrow morning's launch slot also is favorable.

Due to the unique mission profile with the Rosetta comet-intercept spacecraft, the exact launch time has been set for 49 seconds past 4:36 a.m. on February 26.

Flight 158 will be the 14th commercial Ariane 5 mission performed under Arianespace management.

Its Rosetta spacecraft payload is a deep-space probe that will be placed on an Earth escape trajectory that will lead to its encounter with Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014.

[GioFX]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2004
0706 GMT (2:06 a.m. EST)

The final minutes of the countdown are ticking at the Guiana Space Center for today's launch of the Rosetta spacecraft aboard the Ariane 5 rocket. Liftoff is scheduled for 0736:49 GMT.

The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission represents several historic firsts:

- Rosetta will be the first spacecraft to orbit a comets nucleus.
- It will be the first spacecraft to fly alongside a comet as it heads towards the inner Solar System.
- Rosetta will the first spacecraft to examine from close proximity how a frozen comet is transformed by the warmth of the Sun.
- Shortly after its arrival at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the Rosetta orbiter will despatch a robotic lander for the first controlled touchdown on a comet nucleus
- The Rosetta landers instruments will obtain the first images from a comets surface and make the first in-situ analysis to find out what it is made of.
- On its way to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Rosetta will pass through the main asteroid belt, with the option of a first close encounter with one or more of these primitive objects
- Rosetta will be the first spacecraft ever to fly close to Jupiter's orbit using solar cells as its main power source.

[GioFX]

Arianespace - Live

[GioFX]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2004
0720 GMT (2:20 a.m. EST)

SCRUB! Today's launch of the Ariane 5 rocket carrying the Rosetta spacecraft has been postponed due to unfavorable high-altitude winds. Liftoff has been rescheduled for early Friday morning.

"We have a weather no-go because of the winds at altitude. As we only have an instant launch window for this evening, it is not possible to go ahead with the launch and it is not possible to do anything other than come back tomorrow, same place, same time for the second attempt," Jean-Yves Le Gall, the chief executive officer of Arianespace said in announcing the scrub.

[GioFX]

Lift-off delayed for European comet mission

KOUROU, French Guiana (AFP) Feb 26, 2004

European space officials on Thursday postponed the launch of the first-ever probe aimed at landing on the surface of a comet, putting off the lift-off for 24 hours due to high-altitude winds.
An Ariane 5 rocket had been due to lift off carrying the European spacecraft Rosetta, destined for a 10-year-mission to intercept the Churyumov-Gerasimenko, a cool 675 million kilometers (421 million miles) from the Sun.

The delay was announced by Mario de Lepine, spokesman for the Arianespace company which operates the Ariane rockets from the European space centre in Kourou, in France's south American territory of Guiana.

The "launch window" for the lift-off -- the period in which it is technically possible -- runs for 21 days from Thursday, officials said.

[gpc]

E non hanno detto il perchè del ritardo?

[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da gpc
E non hanno detto il perchè del ritardo?

putting off the lift-off for 24 hours due to high-altitude winds

I palloni meteorologici lanciati prima del lancio hanno evidentemente rilevato venti in quota oltre l'intensità massima consentita per la sicurezza del lancio.

[gpc]

Originariamente inviato da GioFX
I palloni meteorologici lanciati prima del lancio hanno evidentemente rilevato venti in quota oltre l'intensità massima consentita per la sicurezza del lancio.

Ehm, m'era sfuggita quella riga...

[GioFX]

Flight 158 - February 26

Liftoff set for the morning of February 27

The countdown for Flight 158 resumed this afternoon with the prospect of more favorable weather conditions at the Spaceport in French Guiana for tomorrow's early morning liftoff.

A first launch attempt this morning was put on hold was due to wind conditions at altitude, which are part of the safety considerations of each Ariane launch.

Both the Ariane 5G and its Rosetta comet-intercept payload continue in a safe mode in the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone.

Due to Flight 158's unique mission profile with its Rosetta deep-space probe, the launch time is fixed for a precise instant: 50 seconds past 4:36 a.m. (local time at the Spaceport).

This is in contrast to typical Ariane missions with telecommunications satellites -- which usually have launch windows of minutes or hours, allowing more margins to wait out unfavorable weather conditions or other launch constraints.

After Flight 158's liftoff, the Rosetta spacecraft payload will be placed on an Earth escape trajectory that will lead to its encounter with Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014.

[GioFX]

Rocket trouble delays Rosetta until next week

BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: February 27, 2004

Launch of Europe's ambitious Rosetta mission to orbit a comet and deliver a tiny lander onto the icy surface has been postponed yet again -- this time by insulating foam that detached from the Ariane 5 rocket's main stage.


The Ariane 5 rocket will launch Rosetta. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

Originally scheduled for blastoff in January 2003, Rosetta was grounded by concerns with the Ariane 5 in the wake of a failed launch and missed its window to reach comet Wirtanen.

After reprogramming the mission to target another comet, Thursday morning's initial launch attempt was thwarted by high-altitude wind conditions.

While preparing for another countdown Thursday evening, the foam trouble prompted officials to halt the launch. It is expected to be early next week before the next launch shot.

The rocket's main stage uses super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to feed the Vulcain 1 main engine during the first 10 minutes of flight. The stage is covered with insulation in a concept similar to the foam on space shuttle external tanks.

There is not yet a sense of urgency to launch Rosetta. The available period in which the craft can embark on its trek to comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko extends to March 17.

Rosetta will travel 10 years before arriving at its destination, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit a comet. A lander called Philae will separate from the Rosetta mothership and land on the comet's nucleus for detailed research.

Comets are believed to be time capsules holding important clues about the birth of the solar system and its early development. The Rosetta mission seeks to understand the properties of comets and the processes that take place inside them.

"Working in unison, the lander and the orbiter will revolutionize our understanding of comets," Rosetta project scientist Gerhard Schwehm said. "They will lead to amazing discoveries about the most primitive building blocks of the solar system."

[gpc]

che lancio sofferto... certo che, se il buon giorno si vede dal mattino, la missione non promette poi così bene...

[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da gpc
che lancio sofferto... certo che, se il buon giorno si vede dal mattino, la missione non promette poi così bene...

è normale, soprattutto con una missione come questa che non ha una finestra di lancio come tipicamente accade con i satelliti, di qualche minuto o ora, ma sono costretti a lanciare all'ora esatta, a 50 secondi dopo le 4:36, ora della Guaiana. Tuttavia non c'è fretta, dato che la finestra utile finisce il 17 marzo, meno rischi si corre, meglio è.

[GioFX]

Rosetta's voyage to comet poised to launch tonight

BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 1, 2004

Delayed several days to replace a patch of foam insulation on the Ariane 5 rocket, launch of the Rosetta comet probe has been rescheduled for early Tuesday.


The missing piece of insulation is the tiny dark area on the main tank. It is located at the height of the two country flags that are below the letters 'ESA' on the solid rocket booster on the left. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace

Liftoff from the Guiana Space Center in South America will occur at either 0717:44 GMT or 0737:44 GMT (2:17:44 or 2:37:44 a.m. EST) -- the two instantaneous launch times available Tuesday.

The first launch attempt last Thursday was scrubbed by unacceptable high-altitude wind conditions. Another try on Friday was called off after technicians discovered a piece of insulation had fallen off the Ariane 5's main stage. The material is needed to keep the super-cold fuels inside the stage at the proper temperature and prevent ice from forming on the rocket.

The workers found the insulation on the launch pad and traced it back to the rocket's side.

"The small piece (approximately 10 X 15 cm. in size) apparently separated as a result of temperature changes that occurred with the fueling and de-fueling of Ariane 5's cryogenic stage," Arianespace said in a statement. "The stage carries 155 metric tons of the cold cryogenic propellant (liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen), and it was emptied after the first launch attempt was postponed on February 26 due to weather conditions."

"The situation is well identified and the repair is simple," Arianespace Chief Executive Officer Jean-Yves Le Gall said.

Plans called for the rocket to be returned to its assembly hangar so a new block of insulation could be attached over the weekend.

"Once the new piece is in place, the adhesive requires approximately 36 hours for its drying/curing process," Arianespace said.

The available window in which to launch Rosetta to comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko extends through March 17. The craft will travel through space for a decade before entering orbit around the comet and dispatching a tiny lander to its icy surface.

"I want to thank Arianespace for the decision to not take any risks with our mission," European Space Agency Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said. "A few extra days on Earth for our 'baby' will have no consequence for this 10 year mission."