Data from Europe’s Rosetta spacecraft reveals that comets can also have auroras. On the comet “Chury” this diffuse aurora glows in UV light… more
It resembles a large, icy rubber duck: Researchers may have now clarified how comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, or “Chury” for short, got its strangely divided shape… more
On November 14, 2014, the time had come: After ten years in space, the Rosetta probe reached “Tschuri” and deposited the Philae lander on the comet – a great success in space travel. A good two days later, Philae provided data until its batteries gave up. How much the Rosetta mission has improved knowledge about comets… more
A successful space mission is coming to an end: After twelve years and almost eight billion kilometers, the Rosetta space probe has switched off. Before that, she transmitted her most detailed close-up images of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to Earth…. more
The weekend is just around the corner and we have once again put together interesting texts for you – this time there is also good news…. more
How is the Philae space probe doing, which landed a good year ago after a spectacular maneuver on the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, or Churi for short – and with which contact was lost? One thing is certain: Since landing in November 2014, researchers have been busy evaluating data that… more
“We never thought that oxygen could last for billions of years without combining with other substances,” says Kathrin Altwegg, head of the mass spectrometric studies of the Rosetta mission. And yet: According to her team’s analysis, oxygen is the fourth most common gas in the… more
“It was a roller coaster ride”: A video from the German Aerospace Center looks back on the exciting process of the comet landing… more
Reading Popular book about the Rosetta mission by participating experts: Diedrich Möhlmann, Stephan Ulamec SPACE PROBE ROSETTA Kosmos, Stuttgart 2014, € 24.99 Internet websites of ESA and DLR: blogs.esa.int/rosetta/dlr.de/rosetta Lecture of the Rosetta scientist Claudia Alexander: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW4t-8v13aQ Video about Rosetta and… more
Even before landing, it was clear that an important component of the lander had failed: the “cold gas thrust drive”. The task of this engine was to press Philae against the surface when it came into contact with the ground, because its weight at 67P is only a few grams due to the weak gravity. Conventional chemical rocket engines… more