Latest News
18,033 Jobs and Continually Growing Exports in 2013 – Enterprise Ireland End of Year Statement
Connecting local suppliers to opportunities in the Construction Sector
Enterprise Ireland launches first online networking platform for female entrepreneurs
Research & Innovation
BLOODLINE – The Search for Speed
Irish Medical Device patented “Cool Brain” en route to Market
Comet chaser ‘Rosetta’ has technology from 2 Irish companies on board
Technology Centres – get the competitive edge that game-changing technology delivers
Start-ups, Jobs, Deals
Community Enterprise Centres create 9,300 jobs in the past decade
Online Media Hub PR Slides Raises €500k in Seed Funding and becomes a High Potential Start-Up
Glanbia to Create 90 Jobs in Monaghan and Dublin
International Activities
Gulf Trade Mission Creates 95 Jobs and €65m in Business Deals
200 International Buyers for Showcase - Ireland's Creative Expo
Global Sourcing – building bridges between indigenous and overseas firms
Events
Meet the Buyer Event, Friday 31 January, The Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise.
Trade Mission to Singapore, 8-11 February 2014
The Start-up class of 2013 - Investor & Networking Morning, Wednesday 19 February, Dublin Castle
Twitter Feed
Contact Us  Follow Us
Research & Innovation

Comet chaser ‘Rosetta’ has technology from 2 Irish companies on board
 
Photo Credit: ESA
Photo Credit: ESA

The European Space Agency is planning to make history with its Rosetta “comet chaser” by becoming the first space mission to rendezvous with a comet, the first to attempt a landing on a comet’s surface, and the first to follow a comet as it swings around the Sun.

Two Irish companies are heavily involved in this highly ambitious space mission, CAPTEC and Space Technology Ireland. These companies are pioneers of the Irish space industry having been involved in numerous ESA science missions, and are paving the way for a growing cohort of Irish technology companies in the space sector.

Rosetta recently made headlines having “woken up” from a 31 month hibernation period to prepare for its mission objectives. Operating on solar energy alone, Rosetta was placed into a deep space slumber in June 2011 as it cruised out to a distance of nearly 800 million km from the warmth of the Sun. Now, as Rosetta’s orbit has brought it back to within 'only' 673 million km from the Sun, there is enough solar energy to power the spacecraft fully again.

Comets are considered the primitive building blocks of the Solar System and likely helped to ‘seed’ Earth with water, perhaps even the ingredients for life. But many fundamental questions about these enigmatic objects remain, and through its comprehensive, in situ study of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Rosetta aims to unlock the secrets contained within.

Rosetta will track the evolution of the comet on a daily basis and for over a year, providing a unique insight into a comet’s behaviour and ultimately helping to decipher their role in the formation of the Solar System.

Two Irish companies are actively involved with the mission; Space Technology Ireland Ltd (STIL), led by renowned space scientist, Professor Susan McKenna-Lawlor, was responsible for the development of the hardware supporting communications between the orbiter and lander.

CAPTEC provided the independent validation of mission critical software and developed the software for the communications interface between the orbiter and the lander. CAPTEC also provided engineering support to the prime contractor for the launch activities at Kourou.


To learn more about Irish companies involved in ESA programmes click here. 
For more information on the Rosetta mission click here. 
Follow the Rosetta twitter account: @ESA_Rosetta

Newsletter Marketing Powered by Newsweaver