Rosetta Asteroid Flyby to Help Solve Solar System Mysteries
Still 4 years away from its ultimate destination, ESA’s Rosetta
Spacecraft will make a close flyby of the little known asteroid
21 Lutetia this week. The spacecraft, with a box-type central
structure measuring 2.8 m X 2.1 m X 2.0 m and a 32m solar panel
span, will approach within 3,200 km of the space rock on July
10. It will then have a 2-hour window to beam the first close-up
images of the asteroid back to Earth. Roughly 100 km in
diameter, Lutetia is believed to be a “C-type” asteroid from the
main belt between Mars and Jupiter yet some measurements
indicate it may be an “M-type” with metals on its surface.
Scientists hope the observations will contribute to the small
body of knowledge about asteroids. Shortly after the flyby,
Rosetta will enter deep space hibernation until awakening in
2014 when it reaches its final destination, Comet 67P /
Churyomov-Gerasimenko. A 100 kg lander (TL) will then detach
from Rosetta and become the 1st spacecraft to