Rosetta orbiter

Schematic of the Rosetta orbiter showing the locations of the main instruments. Copyright ESA/ATG medialab.

The orbiter consists of a box of 2.8 × 2.1 × 2.0 metres with two rotatable wings, measuring 32 m in length. Solar panels mounted on these wings will face the sun at all times during the interactions with comet 67P and will provide the power to run the onboard instruments. The wings on the opposite side to the solar panels contain radiators.

The box itself supports a 2.2 metre communications dish to send signals back to Earth. The 11 science experiments that are in operation in orbit around comet 67P are mounted on the top of the box with the subsystems located in the base. The orbiter will collect data relating to the comet nucleus, as well as the gas and dust ejected from the comet during its journey around the sun.

To find out more about the individual instruments on board the Rosetta orbiter, use the sidebar links.

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/The_Rosetta_orbiter

http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/35061-instruments/