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The European Space Agency comet chaser probe Rosetta has successfully passed a hectic schedule of deployment tests in preparation for its launch in Jan, 2003. The latest phase of pre-flight tests has involved the operation of the various arrays and booms that will be extended from the cube-shaped body of the Rosetta orbiter during its eight-year journey to Comet Wirtanen.
Perhaps the most important of the tests was the deployment of the two giant solar wings that will power Rosetta. These arrays are 14 metres in length and are covered with more than 22 000 specially developed silicon cells. The five panels were successfully extended during the test after thermal knives were used to sever the kevlar cables that will keep them in position during launch. Other tests included the deployment of the 2.2 metre-diameter communications dish by the firing of explosive charges known as pyros and the release of an H-shaped wire aerial to be used by the CONSERT experiment. Rosetta has know passed another hurdle in its development and is thus one step closer to launch in six month's time.
More info: European Space Agency
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