Definition
The Rosetta mission was a Planetary Cornerstone Mission in the European Space Agency’s program Horizon 2000. It had a rendezvous in August 2014 with the →comet →67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to study its nucleus chemical and physical properties, and the development of its atmosphere as the comet approaches the Sun. Rosetta followed the comet for about 2 years before and after its perihelion in August 2015. The mission was terminated with a controlled crash on the comet’s nucleus on September 30, 2016. Rosetta spacecraft was carrying an instrumented lander called →Philae delivered to the nucleus on November 12, 2014. On its way to the comet, Rosetta flew by asteroids 2867 →Steins and 21 →Lutetia.
Overview
Rosetta was the first space mission whose goal was to land on a cometary nucleus and follow a comet for about 2 years. It was first conceived to explore comet 46P/Wirtanen. However, because of a failure of an Ariane 5 rocket in December 2002, the mission was postponed, and a new...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References and Further Reading
Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Bar-Nun A, Berthelier JJ, Bieler A, Bochsler P, Briois C, Calmonte U, Combi M, Keyser JD, Eberhardt P, Fiethe B, Fuselier S, Gasc S, Gombosi TI, Hansen KC, Hassig M, Jackel A, Kopp E, Korth A, LeRoy L, Mall U, Marty B, Mousis O, Neefs E, Owen T, Reme H, Rubin M, Semon T, Tzou CY, Waite H, Wurz P (2014) 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, a Jupiter family comet with a high D/H ratio. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261952
Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Bar-Nun A, Berthelier J-J, Bieler A, Bochsler P, Briois C, Calmonte U, Combi MR, Cottin H, De Keyser J, Dhooghe F, Fiethe B, Fuselier SA, Gasc S, Gombosi TI, Hansen KC, Haessig M, Jäckel A, Kopp E, Korth A, Le Roy L, Mall U, Marty B, Mousis O, Owen T, Rème H, Rubin M, Sémon T, Tzou C-Y, Hunter Waite J, Wurz P (2016) Prebiotic chemicals – amino acid and phosphorus – in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Sci Adv. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600285
Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Berthelier JJ, Bieler A, Calmonte U, Fuselier SA, Goesmann F, Gasc S, Gombosi TI, Le Roy L, de Keyser J, Morse A, Rubin M, Schuhmann M, Taylor MGGT, Tzou CY, Wright I (2017) Organics in comet 67P – a first comparative analysis of mass spectra from ROSINA–DFMS, COSAC and Ptolemy. Mon Not R Astron Soc. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx1415
Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Fuselier SA (2019) Cometary chemistry and the origin of icy Solar System bodies: the view after Rosetta. Annu Rev Astron Astrophys 57:113–155
Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Hänni N, Rubin M, Schuhmann M, Schroeder I, Sémon T, Wampfler S, Berthelier J-J, Briois C, Combi M, Gombosi TI, Cottin H, De Keyser J, Dhooghe F, Fiethe B, Fuselier SA (2020) Evidence of ammonium salts in comet 67P as explanation for the nitrogen depletion in cometary comae. Nat Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0991-9
Bardyn A, Baklouti D, Cottin H, Fray N, Briois C, Paquette J, Stenzel O, Engrand C, Fischer H, Hornung K, Isnard R, Langevin Y, Lehto H, Le Roy L, Ligier N, Merouane S, Modica P, Orthous-Daunay F-R, Rynö J, Schulz R, Silén J, Thirkell L, Varmuza K, Zaprudin B, Kissel J, Hilchenbach M (2017) Carbon-rich dust in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko measured by COSIMA/Rosetta. Mon Not R Astron Soc. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx2640
Barucci MA, Fulchignoni M (2017) Major achievements of the Rosetta mission in connection with the origin of the solar system. Astron Astrophys Rev 25:3
Bieler A, Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Bar-Nun A, Berthelier JJ, Bochsler P, Briois C, Calmonte U, Combi M, De Keyser J, van Dishoeck EF, Fiethe B, Fuselier SA, Gasc S, Gombosi TI, Hansen KC, Hassig M, Jackel A, Kopp E, Korth A, Le Roy L, Mall U, Maggiolo R, Marty B, Mousis O, Owen T, Reme H, Rubin M, Semon T, Tzou CY, Waite JH, Walsh C, Wurz P (2015) Abundant molecular oxygen in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15707
Bossa JB, Duvernay F, Theule P, Borget F, d’Hendecourt L, Chiavassa T (2009) Methylammonium methylcarbamate thermal formation in interstellar ice analogs: a glycine salt precursor in protostellar environments. Astron Astrophys. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/200912850
Choukroun M, Altwegg K, Kührt E, Biver N, Bockelée-Morvan D, Drążkowska J, Hérique A, Hilchenbach M, Marschall R, Pätzold M, Taylor MGGT, Thomas N (2020) Dust-to-gas and refractory-to-ice mass ratios of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta observations. Space Sci Rev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00662-1
Elsila JE, Glavin DP, Dworkin JP (2009) Cometary glycine detected in samples returned by Stardust. Meteorit Planet Sci 44:1323–1330
Fornasier S, Bourdelle de Micas J, Hasselmann PH, Hoang HV, Barucci MA, Sierks H (2021) Small lobe of comet 67P: characterization of the Wosret region with ROSETTA-OSIRIS. Astron Astophys 653:1014
Fray N, Bardyn A, Cottin H, Altwegg K, Baklouti D, Briois C, Colangeli L, Engrand C, Fischer H, Glasmachers A, Grün E, Haerendel G, Henkel H, Höfner H, Hornung K, Jessberger EK, Koch A, Krüger H, Langevin Y, Lehto H, Lehto K, Le Roy L, Merouane S, Modica P, Orthous-Daunay F-R, Paquette J, Raulin F, Rynö J, Schulz R, Silén J, Siljeström S, Steiger W, Stenzel O, Stephan T, Thirkell L, Thomas R, Torkar K, Varmuza K, Wanczek K-P, Zaprudin B, Kissel J, Hilchenbach M (2016) High-molecular-weight organic matter in the particles of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19320
Gardner E, Lehto HJ, Lehto K, Fray N, Bardyn A, Lönnberg T, Merouane S, Isnard R, Cottin H, Hilchenbach M (2020) The detection of solid phosphorus and fluorine in the dust from the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Mon Not R Astron Soc. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2950
Goesmann F, Rosenbauer H, Bredehöft JH, Cabane M, Ehrenfreund P, Gautier T, Giri C, Krüger H, Le Roy L, MacDermott AJ, McKenna-Lawlor S, Meierhenrich UJ, Caro GMM, Raulin F, Roll R, Steele A, Steininger H, Sternberg R, Szopa C, Thiemann W, Ulamec S (2015) Organic compounds on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko revealed by COSAC mass spectrometry. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aab0689
Hadraoui K, Cottin H, Ivanovski SL, Zapf P, Altwegg K, Benilan Y, Biver N, Della Corte V, Fray N, Lasue J, Merouane S, Rotundi A, Zakharov V (2019) Distributed glycine in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Astron Astrophys 651:5018e
Isnard R, Bardyn A, Fray N, Briois C, Cottin H, Paquette J, Stenzel O, Alexander C, Baklouti D, Engrand C, Orthous-Daunay F-R, Siljeström S, Varmuza K, Hilchenbach M (2019) H/C elemental ratio of the refractory organic matter in cometary particles of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Astron Astrophys 630:797
Jorda L, Gaskell R, Capanna C, Hviid S, Lamy P, Ďurech J, Faury G, Groussin O, Gutiérrez P, Jackman C, Keihm SJ, Keller HU, Knollenberg J, Kührt E, Marchi S, Mottola S, Palmer E, Schloerb FP, Sierks H, Vincent JB, A’Hearn MF, Barbieri C, Rodrigo R, Koschny D, Rickman H, Barucci MA, Bertaux JL, Bertini I, Cremonese G, Da Deppo V, Davidsson B, Debei S, De Cecco M, Fornasier S, Fulle M, Güttler C, Ip WH, Kramm JR, Küppers M, Lara LM, Lazzarin M, Lopez Moreno JJ, Marzari F, Naletto G, Oklay N, Thomas N, Tubiana C, Wenzel KP (2016) The global shape, density and rotation of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from preperihelion Rosetta/OSIRIS observations. Icarus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.05.002
Marty B, Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Bar-Nun A, Bekaert DV, Berthelier J-J, Bieler A, Briois C, Calmonte U, Combi M, De Keyser J, Fiethe B, Fuselier SA, Gasc S, Gombosi TI, Hansen KC, Hässig M, Jäckel A, Kopp E, Korth A, Le Roy L, Mall U, Mousis O, Owen T, Rème H, Rubin M, Sémon T, Tzou C-Y, Waite JH, Wurz P (2017) Xenon isotopes in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko show that comets contributed to Earth’s atmosphere. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aal3496
Massironi M, Simioni E, Marzari F, Cremonese G, Giacomini L, Pajola M, Jorda L, Naletto G, Lowry S, El-Maarry MR, Preusker F, Scholten F, Sierks H, Barbieri C, Lamy P, Rodrigo R, Koschny D, Rickman H, Keller HU, A’Hearn MF, Agarwal J, Auger A-T, Barucci MA, Bertaux J-L, Bertini I, Besse S, Bodewits D, Capanna C, Da Deppo V, Davidsson B, Debei S, De Cecco M, Ferri F, Fornasier S, Fulle M, Gaskell R, Groussin O, Gutiérrez PJ, Güttler C, Hviid SF, Ip W-H, Knollenberg J, Kovacs G, Kramm R, Kührt E, Küppers M, La Forgia F, Lara LM, Lazzarin M, Lin Z-Y, Lopez Moreno JJ, Magrin S, Michalik H, Mottola S, Oklay N, Pommerol A, Thomas N, Tubiana C, Vincent J-B (2015) Two independent and primitive envelopes of the bilobate nucleus of comet 67P. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15511
Paquette JA, Fray N, Bardyn A, Engrand C, Alexander CMOD, Siljeström S, Cottin H, Merouane S, Isnard R, Stenzel OJ, Fischer H, Rynö J, Kissel J, Hilchenbach M (2021) D/H in the refractory organics of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko measured by Rosetta/COSIMA. Mon Not R Astron Soc. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab1028
Poch O, Istiqomah I, Quirico E, Beck P, Schmitt B, Theulé P, Faure A, Hily-Blant P, Bonal L, Raponi A, Ciarniello M, Rousseau B, Potin S, Brissaud O, Flandinet L, Filacchione G, Pommerol A, Thomas N, Kappel D, Mennella V, Moroz L, Vinogradoff V, Arnold G, Erard S, Bockelée-Morvan D, Leyrat C, Capaccioni F, De Sanctis MC, Longobardo A, Mancarella F, Palomba E, Tosi F (2020) Ammonium salts are a reservoir of nitrogen on a cometary nucleus and possibly on some asteroids. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw7462
Quirico E, Moroz LV, Schmitt B, Arnold G, Faure M, Beck P, Bonal L, Ciarniello M, Capaccioni F, Filacchione G, Erard S, Leyrat C, Bockelée-Morvan D, Zinzi A, Palomba E, Drossart P, Tosi F, Capria MT, De Sanctis MC, Raponi A, Fonti S, Mancarella F, Orofino V, Barucci A, Blecka MI, Carlson R, Despan D, Faure A, Fornasier S, Gudipati MS, Longobardo A, Markus K, Mennella V, Merlin F, Piccioni G, Rousseau B, Taylor F (2016) Refractory and semi-volatile organics at the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: insights from the VIRTIS/Rosetta imaging spectrometer. Icarus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.02.028
Raponi A, Ciarniello M, Capaccioni F, Mennella V, Filacchione G, Vinogradoff V, Poch O, Beck P, Quirico E, De Sanctis MC, Moroz LV, Kappel D, Erard S, Bockelée-Morvan D, Longobardo A, Tosi F, Palomba E, Combe JP, Rousseau B, Arnold G, Carlson RW, Pommerol A, Pilorget C, Fornasier S, Bellucci G, Barucci A, Mancarella F, Formisano M, Rinaldi G, Istiqomah I, Leyrat C (2020) Infrared detection of aliphatic organics on a cometary nucleus. Nat Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0992-8
Rivilla VM, Drozdovskaya MN, Altwegg K, Caselli P, Beltrán MT, Fontani F, van der Tak FFS, Cesaroni R, Vasyunin A, Rubin M, Lique F, Marinakis S, Testi L (2020) ALMA and ROSINA detections of phosphorus-bearing molecules: the interstellar thread between star-forming regions and comets. Mon Not R Astron Soc. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz3336
Rubin M, Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Berthelier J-J, Combi MR, De Keyser J, Drozdovskaya M, Fiethe B, Fuselier SA, Gasc S, Gombosi TI, Hänni N, Hansen KC, Mall U, Rème H, Schroeder IRHG, Schuhmann M, Sémon T, Waite JH, Wampfler SF, Wurz P (2019) Elemental and molecular abundances in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Mon Not R Astron Soc. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2086
Wright IP, Sheridan S, Barber SJ, Morgan GH, Andrews DJ, Morse AD (2015) CHO-bearing organic compounds at the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko revealed by Ptolemy. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aab0673
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Cottin, H. (2023). Rosetta Spacecraft. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1387
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1387
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-65092-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-65093-6
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics