A query was posted here in the Rosetta blog yesterday by Se7en, who noted that the Rosetta flyby media event programme for 10 July, here at ESOC, cites the closest approach time as 18:10 CEST (16:10 UTC). Se7en pointed out that we had earlier posted that the estimated closest approach time would be 15:44:55 UTC (=17:44:55 CEST).

The source of the difference lies in the fact that we first posted the flyby closest approach time in 'spacecraft event time' - which is to say, the time when the event will happen at Rosetta. The time in the media event programme is cited in Earth event time - which is to say, the time when the event can be detected on Earth.

So, why the difference? (Details after the jump...) -- Daniel

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On 10 July, the European Space Agency will webstream Rosetta's fly-by of Asteroid Lutetia in a two-part programme live from ESOC, ESA's European Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany.

ESA's comet-chaser Rosetta is heading for a blind date with asteroid Lutetia: Rosetta does not yet know what Lutetia looks like up-close but, beautiful or otherwise, the two will meet on 10 July. Like many first dates, Rosetta will meet Lutetia on a Saturday night, flying to within 3200 km of the space rock. Rosetta started taking navigational sightings of Lutetia at the end of May so that ground controllers can determine any course corrections required to achieve their intended flyby distance.

The close pass will allow around 2 hours of good imaging. The spacecraft will instantly radio the data back to Earth and the first pictures will be released later that evening. The webstream is available for embed/re-casting via our channel in Livestream.com:: http://www.livestream.com/eurospaceagency

Click on 'Full story' for details on how you can embed-re-cast the webstream in your website, personal home page, blog or other channel. -- Daniel

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The call for press has just gone out in the main ESA website. Full information and details on registering for the fly-by media event here at ESA/ESOC on 10 July 2010 are available here. -- DGS

 

 

 

 

 

Mission controllers have just confirmed that ESA’s comet chaser  Rosetta has swung by Earth at 8:45 CET as planned, skimming past our planet to pick up a gravitational boost for an epic journey to rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014.

See the complete article on the Rosetta website.

We just confirmed this morning that ESA's European Space Operations Centre will host a press briefing on the morning of the swingby for interested media. This will be the third Earth swingby, the last of Rosetta’s four planetary gravity assists. Closest approach to Earth is expected at 08:45 CET (07:45 UT).

The spacecraft is operated from ESOC, located in Darmstadt, Germany (right where we are!). Click on 'full story' for contact details.

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The Observatoire de Paris is participating in Rosetta through the selection of the asteroid targets and the design of three of its main instruments.

Press release available in original French: CPRosettaObsParisDEF.pdf

--Amruta