Date: 07 Jul 2010
Satellite: Rosetta
Depicts: Rosetta - Lutetia flyby target plane
Copyright: ESA

This plot shows the situation in the target plane for Rosetta's flyby of asteroid Lutetia on 10 July 2010. It is based on radiometric data and ground-based astrometric data, as well as the optical navigation data from Rosetta's on-board cameras up to and including 28 June 2010.

The target plane is a planar coordinate system centred on the asteroid and is used for targeting during this close flyby. The target relative position of Rosetta for the flyby is marked in green and is 3160 km from asteroid Lutetia (at the origin of the plot, direction indicated with arrow).

Ellipses indicate 3-sigma error circles around Rosetta's determined positions (crosses) relative to the asteroid.

Up to 28 June, 40 images have been obtained with each of Rosetta's two navigation cameras (NAVCAMs) and 35 images with the OSIRIS narrow angle camera (NAC). These images of Lutetia and the stellar background have been reduced to provide measurements 115 of the direction from Rosetta to the asteroid. Three of the NAVCAM images were discarded, leaving 112 measurements for the orbit determination.

The blue cross and associated, dashed error ellipse shows the old solution in the target plane, based on the navigation data up to 21 June - see the related image in right-hand menu.

The orange cross and associated error ellipse shows the new solution in the target plane, based on the navigation data up to 28 June. Rosetta's projected position in the target plane now lies 3164 km from Lutetia and 8 km from the target. The ellipse has semi-axes of 48 × 23 km. The predicted time of closest approach is 15:44:55.72 UTC with a 3-sigma uncertainty of 7.37 seconds.