Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

ESA's Rosetta Probe Passed 1st Test

Posted by Hemos on from the collecting-the-data dept.

be_stress writes "The BBC are reporting that ESA's Rosetta Probe has passed the first phase of its mission. It has currently made observations of Comet C/2002 T7. This is just the first part of a much bigger mission to intercept Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and release a probe to study the chemistry of the comet. The Rosetta probe will enter a quiet 'cruise-mode' until September, when th second stage of commissioning will commence."

68 comments

  1. Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The BBC are reporting that ESA's Rossetta Probe has passed the first phase of it's mission.

    After the Beagle debacle, is it safe to assume that phase one was "don't splatter the craft across the surface of what it's supposed to be studying?"

    1. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Ask again when NASA has completed phase one for the next generation space shuttle. Which should be "make sure the crew gets back on earth in one piece."

    2. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Interesting that the post alluidng to failings of the US space program gets a troll rating and the post alluding to failings of the British one doesn't. I guess expecting unbiased moderators would be a bit much.

    3. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ha ha, nice troll, but the ESA's space shuttle so far consists of a scale model glider that landed.

      Hold me back from that level of science. Wow. Its so magical, its tragical!

    4. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Really the Beagle debacle was a ESA fiasco but only in the Public Relations department. Beagle was not a ESA project, it was a english project that the ESA accept to transport to Mars. A big mistake in my opinion, because the people (like the parent post) now associate Beagle with ESA.

      Well, I suppose they have learnt the lesson.

    5. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Funny and all, but it conveniently forgets that ESA's Mars Mission, the Mars Express orbiter, made it into orbit around Mars without a hitch and is currently returning some stunning science data (and pretty pictures). There was the under-funded, built at the last minute Beagle along for the ride but that wasn't a ESA project as such. ESA's space probes don't have a habit of splattering themselves into anything.

    6. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not interesting considering that the majority of /. readers are ignorant Americans.

    7. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They don't rush things to win pointless "space races."

      But when they come up with something, it usually works.

    8. Re:Did they lower the bar? by amelagar · · Score: 1

      ESA was helping NASA develop the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle, and doing a fair part of the work too, until George W. Bush cancelled X-38 and all results, including ESA-owned research models, ahem, "disappeared".

      And that's *not* a conspiracy rumour.

    9. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The ESA didn't need to rush the Phoenix project since they work closely with the NASA and contributed to the shuttle programme. And let's not forget that The International Space Station is the focus of ESA's human spaceflight activities, not the Phoenix project.
      Anyway..the model you refer to is only part of the project. They have already put a lot of work into developing a launcher that can carry it into orbit.

    10. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Congratulations. Only NASA was able to do that in 1968! Just like after the 4 minute mile was broken (which previously noone thought was possible), it seemed everybody could run 3:50. And after Everest was conquered, everyone can conquer it now! NASA paves the way, and lesser space agencies follow.

    11. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Jugalator · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Are you still living in the cold war, thinking everything in space is a competition?

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    12. Re:Did they lower the bar? by dddno · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Yes. You're a real hero, AC.
      No brain, no wits, just childish self-adulation. But hey, I'm sure you contributed a few tax cents to your nation's triumph.

    13. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or the US space program?
      Give the nazi scientists a pardon for developing the V1, V2, prototype V3 rockets and developed an embryonic nuclear program, give them new lives in the USA as long as they tell everything they know....

      The US space program is built on the lives of everyone killed by a V weapon during WWII.

      Remember that.

    14. Re:Did they lower the bar? by brian728s · · Score: 0

      Really? One would hope that a crew of N gets back in N + 1 pieces (1 for the shuttle).

    15. Re:Did they lower the bar? by ThisIsFred · · Score: 1

      Give it time, and hopefully it will be properly moderated. If not, then I'll be certain to metamoderate if given the opportunity.

      --
      Fred

      "A fool and his freedom are soon parted"
      -RMS
    16. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Greatest. BS. ever.

    17. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least they can post on Slashdot without repeating themselves.

      Given a budget, they would outperform NASA, I'm sure.

    18. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoever says "you lose", loses himself immediately.

    19. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Poor excuse.

    20. Re:Did they lower the bar? by titusjan · · Score: 1

      Indeed, space is big business. There is no competion involved.

    21. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks for posting a link then. With no evidence, it is a rumour.

    22. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Jugalator · · Score: 1

      So how do you explain that NASA and ESA cooperate then? I could give you countless articles about it.

      Let's pick an example... Hubble itself is one huge NASA / ESA joint project. And what does the I in ISS stand for again? But maybe such small matters don't count for you? :-)

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    23. Re:Did they lower the bar? by Jugalator · · Score: 1

      One more thing, I hope this cooperation will continue, as space is such a high cost / high risk business at least with our current technology, that for us to be truly successful in exploring it, I think international cooperation is not only beneficial, but necessary.

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  2. Hope by LooseChanj · · Score: 0
    The Rossetta probe will enter a quiet 'cruise-mode' until september when th second stage of commissioning will commence."


    Let's hope so.
    --
    Mix the failings of Usenet with the shortcomings of the World Wide Web and the result is slashdot.
  3. "Rossetta"? by Tar-Palantir · · Score: 5, Informative

    Editors, please... the name of the probe is "Rosetta" (as in the famous stone).

    1. Re:"Rossetta"? by WormholeFiend · · Score: 4, Funny

      obviously, in true Slashdotter tradition, the poster didnt even RTFA he linked to...

    2. Re:"Rossetta"? by novakane007 · · Score: 1

      "th second stage of commissioning will commence"

      I believe he meant "the" second stage... The editors don't correct simple mistakes like this?

      --

      WURD!!
    3. Re:"Rossetta"? by mindriot · · Score: 2, Informative

      Some interesting, more detailed information about Rosetta's activities can be found on the Lander Control Center's page. An overview of the commissioning activities is also available. It's a bit terse and sometimes not really up-to-date, but you can see some technical details. For your information, from the latter page on the commissioning activities:

      • Block 1: Main Subsystems. 12.03. - 17.03.2004
      • Block 2: Remaining subsystems and Experiments on HPC / CIU main. 09.04. - 15.04.2004
      • Block 3: Remaining subsystems and Experiments on LPC / CIU red.; Lander internal interference tests; Consert Instrument Clock Drift Correction. 16.05. - 25.05.2004
      • Block 4: Lander unit combined operation; Lander/Orbiter CONSERT Solar Panel Influence (Pointing Scenario). 03.10. - 05.10.2004
      • Block 5: Romap listening to RPC test on Orbiter level (Interference Scenario). 19.10. - 27.10.2004
      • Block 6: Lander cruise preparation. 27.10. - 28.10.2004

      So I assume we're between Block 3 and Block 4 now.

  4. Those damned Earthlings and their music! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    The Rossetta probe will enter a quiet 'cruise-mode' until september when th second stage of commissioning will commence.


    At which point it will engage hydraulics and crank the stereo up to annoy the neighbors.
  5. Yikes! Heavy Traffic! by AndroidCat · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Initially it sounded like the probe was in comet rush-hour traffic: making observations of one comet, zipping over to another one to get samples... However I relaxed when I saw that it was making observations from 95 million km away. (The Moon is roughly 380,000 km away.)

    Cancel that call to Bruce Willis!

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    1. Re:Yikes! Heavy Traffic! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For additional comparison, the earth is 150 million km* from the sun. I am not that impressed by a distance of 2/3 AU. Hubble and other satellites can do that type of thing. I will be impressed when it lands on a different comet though. And I also recognize that this is a good test for the satellite before the primary goal.

      * 149,597,890 kilometers = 92,955,819 miles

  6. ESR's arse probed by rosetta. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did anyone else read this as ``ESR's probed by rosetta.''

    YBLR, HTH, IANAL, FTTHR, HAND.

  7. Re:Learn some fucking English... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You're obviously confusing English with American or whatever they speak in the backwater hole you come from. "The BBC are..." is perfectly valid English.

  8. comet linear? by hkfczrqj · · Score: 5, Informative

    It has currently made observations of Comet C/2002 T7, or Comet Linear.

    It's not THE Comet Linear, it's just another comet found with the LINEAR research program.

  9. Re:Now you want that article! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do they use a dice when they select the submissions to publish?

    The singular of "dice" is "die." Which, coincidentally, is what I wish would happen to people who post whines about articles they submitted that were rejected.

  10. The Black Kettle & Pot Store called... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and they're running out of you!

    The name of the probe is Rosetta, with only one S.

  11. In related News... by k4_pacific · · Score: 2, Funny

    Representative from the planet Pantopia announced today that writings on the Rosetta Probe have given them enough information to effectively decipher the Roman alphabet.

    --
    Unknown host pong.
    1. Re:In related News... by nule.org · · Score: 1

      I for one would like to welcome our new Pantopian overlords.

  12. Observation is for wimps, let's blow it up! by GPLDAN · · Score: 3, Funny

    The Deep Impact project is going to fly alongside a comet, and shoot at it, making parts break off for further observation. It's the first drive-by shooting in space.

    1. Re:Observation is for wimps, let's blow it up! by johannesg · · Score: 1

      Rosetta will actually harpoon its comet. The less well-publicized last phase is to haul the captured comet back to Earth, where it will be cut up and eaten by "scientific experts" across the world...

  13. Grammar by lxt · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I know it's a little thing, but shouldn't it read "The BBC is reporting", not "The BBC are reporting" - BBC stands for British Broadcasting Corporation, not "Corporations", and is singular. So it should be "is", not "are". Unless my grammar is really off :)

    1. Re:Grammar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your a troll plain and simple. The third complex condjugate of the simple plural noun is "are" not "is."

      Go read a grammer textbook before trying to correct others spelling.

    2. Re:Grammar by HeghmoH · · Score: 4, Informative

      In British English, companies are considered to be plural; you're talking about many people, even though they are contained within a single organization. So in the US you say something like, "Apple is dying", in the UK you'd say "Apple are dying". No grammar problem.

      --
      Mod down posts with a "Free Mac Mini/iPod" sig, they're spam!
    3. Re:Grammar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Common British usage is to use plural for companies and organisations.

    4. Re:Grammar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your a troll [...] condjugate [...] grammer your funny! my bad!

    5. Re:Grammar by gotih · · Score: 1

      interesting, in america corporations get the same rights (sometimes more) as an individual. freedom of speech has let advertisers off the hook for many misleading ads.

      --

      fear is the mind killer
  14. Re:Now you want that article! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Waaaaah!!!!

    Waaaaah!!!!

    No, I meant: Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

    Stop your whining. The same editor who rejected your probably selected this one because he thought it was a repeat.

  15. hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    DId anyone here about anything regarding this? http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/june14/ the original got screwed by bandwith but theres a mirror of it up at www.edmphreak.tk

  16. e by caryw · · Score: 1

    editors do the man a little favor?