Rosetta - Comet Nucleus Sample Return
Abstract
Rosetta - the Comet Nucleus Sample Return (CNSR) mission - is one of the four cornerstone missions to which ESA has committed itself in its approved Long Term Programme ``Horizon 2000''. Additionally, this mission has been categorised in NASA's Solar System Exploration Committee's Augmented Programme as a mission of high scientific merit. Since 1985 the mission has been studied jointly by ESA and NASA.
Research on comet nucleus samples will carry the exploration of the solar system to its outer fringes. This mission will begin to provide scientific study of the pre-solar environment and possibly sample materials in the solar system which will allow an experimental approach to chemical and physical processes that marked the beginning of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago. The Rosetta mission scenario is described with special emphasis on planetary protection issues.- Publication:
-
Advances in Space Research
- Pub Date:
- 1989
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0273-1177(89)90228-7
- Bibcode:
- 1989AdSpR...9f.185S
- Keywords:
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- COMETS;
- COMET NUCLEI;
- SAMPLE RETURN MISSIONS;
- ROSETTA MISSION;
- CNSR MISSION;
- MISSION PLANNING;
- SCIENCE ASPECTS;
- MISSION DESCRIPTION;
- DIAGRAMS;
- RENDEZVOUS MISSIONS;
- SAMPLING;
- TECHNICAL ASPECTS;
- CONTAMINATION;
- LABORATORY STUDIES;
- COMPOSITION;
- VOLATILES;
- TEMPERATURE;
- PROCEDURE;
- Space Exploration