Magnetic field Investigation on ESA’s ROSETTA Mission

Hans Ulrich Auster
TU-Braunschweig, Germany

The magnetometer experiments onboard the Rosetta Mission and the results of the magnetic field investigation at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko are presented. Particularly the odyssey of the Lander PHILAE as seen by the magnetic field experiment ROMAP will be described. The derived dynamic behavior of the Lander PHILAE during touchdowns gave unique hints about the mechanical properties of the cometary surface material. The results are discussed in the context of Rosetta findings about planetary formation and might be important for the landing strategy of future Lander mission on Comets.

Hans Ulrich Auster is research scientist at the Institute for Geophysics and extraterrestrical Physics at the Technical University Braunschweig. He is responsible for magnetometer development, testing and data evaluation.

Hans Ulrich Auster is Principal Investigator of the ROSETTA Lander Magnetometer ROMAP as well as Co-I of many other Magnetometer Space Experiments, onboard of scientific missions as e.g. Phobos, Equator-S, Double Star, Venus Express, Themis, Hayabusa and the upcoming ESA missions BepiColombo and JUICE.

www.aero.polimi.it