ESA releases Rosetta's self-portrait
Rosetta is currently in hibernation until 2014 when it will be woken to complete the first long term study of a comet at close quarters. UK scientists are involved in 10 of the 21 experiments that Rosetta will carry out during its mission.
The Rosetta mission is made up of an orbiter and a small lander. Between them, they carry a total of 20 scientific instruments. The CIVA imaging camera system on the Philae lander returned this image as part of its testing in May 2004. The back of a solar panel is seen here, with contours on the panel are illuminated by sunlight and surfaces of the spacecraft main body are recognisable at lower right.
The CIVA imaging system consists of six identical micro-cameras which will take panoramic pictures of the comet's surface, when Rosetta arrives at Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. A spectrometer will also study the composition, texture and albedo (reflectivity) of samples collected from the surface.
UK scientists are involved in ten of the 21 experiments that Rosetta will carry out during its mission.
UK scientists and engineers worked with European partners to overcome the challenge of designing instruments that will be able to remain intact for 10 years, while the spacecraft makes its way to the comet and then hopefully works perfectly when it gets there.
