The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft is expected to enter orbit round the comet Wirtanen at a distance of as little as 1km during a mission in 2012 which is designed to deploy a small lander on the comet. It is hoped that samples of the Wirtanen can be taken and analysed in an on-board laboratory. Daimler-Benz Aerospace's Dornier Satellite Systems division is the prime contractor for the spacecraft, scheduled to be launched in January 2003.
Source: Flight International
Orbital launch pioneer SpaceX is being contracted by the American space agency NASA to develop a so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle” that can safely return the International Space Station to Earth via controlled re-entry.
BAE Systems has completed its acquisition of Ball Aerospace, with the move further strengthening its US business presence.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has retired its Mars helicopter Ingenuity after the craft suffered damage upon landing.
