CEA helps Rosetta space mission analyze comets

Here’s something you might not have known: Leti provided an irreplaceable component to help the Rosetta space mission analyze the gases that make up comets.

The adventure began in 1998, when the University of Bern asked Leti to come up with a microtip cathode for a pressure gauge to equip the mission’s COPS, or comet pressure sensor. The cathode measures the speed of gas molecules given off by the comet’s core.

Leti offers unrivalled know-how in microtip cathode technology, originally developed for flat-screen displays, as well as in instrumentation that can operate in vacuum. And the component reflects the institute’s solid expertise, offering top-notch reliability and low energy consumption.

Rosetta’s comet pressure sensor, outfitted with the cathode, took off for the Churyumov–Gerasimenko comet in 2004 and reached its destination in late 2014.

Contact: robert.baptist@cea.fr

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