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The 3 tonne Rosetta spacecraft, which is due to fly to Near Earth Comet Wirtanen in 2003, has been subjected to a series of sound tests, announced the European Space Agency (ESA). The probe was placed in a giant chamber and subjected to up to 135 decibels of noise, enough to kill an average human, in order to simulate take off in an Ariane 5 rocket. Further tests included placing the spacecraft on a mechanical shaker. The tests are essential to ensure that Rosetta can survive its launch next year in full working order. The ESA Rosetta mission will study the icy nucleus of comet Wirtanen and the surrounding environment whilst it shadows the comet for two years. Comet Wirtanen was discovered in 1948, however, in the last thirty years its path through the Solar System has been changed by close encounters with Jupiter to bring it close to the Earth. Wirtanen is a Jupiter family comet. These have orbits close to the plane of the Solar System and aphelia (furthest points from the Sun) close to Jupiter and are thus different to comets such as Halley that was visited by the ESA Giotto spacecraft. In Rosetta's eight year journey to comet Wirtanen it will also fly-by two main belt asteroids 140 Siwa and 4979 Otawara. The mission is due to be launched in Jan 2003 and to rendezvous with comet Wirtanen in Nov 2011.
More info: ESA
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