A Public Lecture by M.G.G.T. Taylor
On behalf of the entire Rosetta community.
Project Scientist of the Rosetta Mission
Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration, ESTEC, European Space Agency Netherlands.
The Rosetta Mission is the third cornerstone mission (after XMM and Cluster/SOHO) of the ESA programme Horizon 2000. The aim of the mission is to map the comet 67-P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by remote sensing, to examine its environment insitu and its evolution in the inner solar system. The lander Philae will be the first device to land on a comet and perform in-situ science on the surface. Launched in March 2004 and after a number of gravity assists and various asteroid fly –bys, the spacecraft entered deep space hibernation in June 2011. Nearly 10 years after launch on 20th January 2014 at 10:00 UTC the spacecraft will wake up for comet rendez-vous preparation. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the mission up to date and provide an insight into the exciting years we have ahead of us as Rosetta reaches and studies its target.
Matt Taylor studied Physics at Liverpool University and obtained a PhD in space plasma physics at Imperial College London. He has worked for ESA since 2005, spending most of that time involved in project science activities with ESA's four spacecraft Cluster mission and the Sino-European Double Star mission. Most recently he became Project Scientist of the Rosetta mission.
This event is organised with the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) as part of the Festival of the Planets.
