Impact on a comet:: Rosetta Lander simulations

In the year 2012 the Rosetta Lander will be ejected from the Rosetta orbiter and, after a descent time of up to 3 h, touch the surface of comet 46P/Wirtanen. The objective of the simulations of the landing on a comet is the analysis and understanding of the dynamics of the Rosetta Lander on impact on the comet surface. The Lander properties are well known prior to launch. The data on the comet surface are far less familiar and must be described within an envelope covering a range of possible physical surface parameters. The kinetic energy of the Lander is damped on impact in less than 1 s and the Lander must be secured on the cometary surface. The 3-D simulations are carried out in the frame of a multibody analysis and the positions, velocities, applied and constrain forces are analysed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.