| Abstract: | The International Rosetta Mission, approved by the Science Programme Committee of the European Space Agency as the Planetary
Cornerstone Mission in ESA's long-term programme Horizon 2000, will rendezvous in 2011 with Comet 46P/Wirtanen close to its
aphelion and will study the nucleus and the evolution of the coma for almost two years until it reaches perihelion. In addition
to the investigations performed by the scientific instruments on board the orbiter, a Surface Science Package (Rosetta Lander)
will be deployed onto the surface of the nucleus early during the near-nucleus study phase. On its way to Comet 46P/Wirtanen,
Rosetta will fly by and study the two asteroids 4979 Otawara and 140 Siwa.
This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
