European Space Agency Media Briefing: Getting Ready for Rosetta, Europe’s Comet Rendezvous and Landing Mission
Date: Friday 13 September 12:45-13:45 BST (GMT+1)
Location: Haldane Room, UCL, Gower Street, London

Comets are thought to be some of the most primitive bodies in the Solar System, preserving the earliest record of material from the nebula out of which our Sun and planets were formed,more than 4600 million years ago. The study of comets thus helps us understand the origin and evolution of the Solar System. The International Rosetta Mission aims to map the comet 67-P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by remote sensing, to examine its environment in-situ and its evolution in the inner solar system. The lander Philae will be the first device to land on a comet and perform in-situ science on the surface. Launched in March 2004 and after a number of gravity assists and various asteroid flybys, the spacecraft entered deep space hibernation in June 2011. Nearly 10 years after launch on 20th January 2014 at 10:00 UTC the spacecraft will wake up for comet rendez-vous preparation.

The briefing will provide an overview of the origin of comets and our knowledge to date, including a insight into activities in this area being discussed at the EPSC. We will provide an overview of the mission itself and an insight into the exciting years we have ahead of us as Rosetta reaches and studies its target.

SPEAKERS:

Jessica Agarwal (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research) – Comets on the Eve of Rosetta
Matt Taylor, Rosetta Project Scientist (European Space Agency) – The Rosetta Mission
Mark MacCaughrean (European Space Agency) – Rosetta mission timeline and important dates for media attention.

REMOTE PARTICIPATION

Details of how to view the press conference and submit questions via the press briefing chat room will be posted here before the meeting.