The Rosetta lander.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy NASA.
Rosetta lander instruments
The Rosetta lander has many instruments that it will use to make measurements when it lands on Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
The instruments carried by the lander are described in the table below.
The instruments on the Rosetta orbiter are described on a separate page.
| Instrument |
Purpose |
| ALICE |
Analyzes gases in comet's coma and tail |
| CONSERT |
Uses radio waves to probe comet's
interior |
| COSIMA |
Chemical analysis of dust grains |
| GIADA |
Dust velocity and impact measurement - number, masses, and velocities of
dust grains coming from the comet |
| MIDAS |
Micro-imaging dust analysis - physical analysis (size, shape, etc.) of
dust grains |
| MIRO |
Measures major gases and sub-surface
temperature of the comet |
| OSIRIS |
Wide-angle and narrow-angle cameras |
| ROSINA |
Chemical analysis of comet's
atmosphere |
| RPC |
Plasma measurements - 5 sensors measure physical properties of the
nucleus, the structure of the coma, and the comet's interaction with the solar
wind |
| RSI |
Spacecraft's radio signals are used to measure the mass & density of the
nucleus and to define the comet's orbit |
| VIRTIS |
Maps the temperature on the surface of the nucleus & identifies
gases |
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