[extropy-chat] The Rosetta is on its way!

[Amara Graps]

About 45 minutes ago, after Rosetta completed one Earth orbit (in
'barbeque' mode, they call it, as it rotates slowly as if on a spit)
with the second stage of the launcher, the spacecraft was accelerated
to Earth escape velocity (about 10.2 km/s). Then the spacecraft
separated from the second stage rocket, and started its 'liberation'
orbit.

Ten years of development, now ten years to the comet!

(Strawberry wine and many smiles and choked emotions here....)

-- 

Amara Graps, PhD
Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario (IFSI)
Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF),
Adjunct Assistant Professor Astronomy, AUR,
Roma, ITALIA     Amara.Graps at ifsi.rm.cnr.it