Comet Interceptor
A mission by the European Space Agency in collaboration with the Japanese space agency JAXA
An encounter with a comet from the farthest reaches of the Solar System
Three probes studying the comet simultaneously from different angles
Creotech’s role: design and manufacture of the signal reading and processing subsystem for a scientific instrument
Comets are amongst the oldest objects in the Solar System. Those approaching the Sun for the first time have preserved matter that has remained virtually unchanged since the Sun’s formation, which is why they are an invaluable source of knowledge for scientists. The problem is that such comets are usually discovered too late to allow time to prepare a mission to study them.
Comet Interceptor solves this problem in an innovative way. The probe will launch before its target is selected and will wait for it at the L2 libration point, approximately 1.5 million km from Earth, for up to three years. Once a suitable comet is detected, the probe will set off to meet it and split into three smaller spacecraft. Each of these, equipped with different instruments, will study the comet from a different perspective: its composition, density, magnetic field and interaction with the solar wind.
Creotech Instruments, invited to join the project by the University of Bern, is designing and manufacturing the signal acquisition and processing subsystem for the mass spectrometer. This instrument will measure the masses of the gas molecules released by the comet, enabling its chemical composition to be determined. At the time of signing, the contract, worth almost €1.8 million, was Creotech’s largest contract with the ESA.