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Rosetta Mission Update
Arianespace

Flight 158
December 3: Combined operations begin for the Rosetta launch 

Preparations for Arianespace Flight 158 marked another milestone today 
as the comet-chasing Rosetta spacecraft made its first contact with 
Ariane 5 launcher hardware. The activity took place in Arianespace's 
new S5 satellite preparation facility, where Rosetta was mated to the 
Ariane 5's adapter cone. 

The photos below show Rosetta during its first "meeting" with the
Ariane 5 (click on the images for larger versions): 

[Image]
The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft is carefully lowered 
onto the conic-shaped interface adapter cone. The combination will be 
integrated atop the Ariane 5 in the final pre-launch preparations. 
Flight 158 is scheduled for liftoff from the Spaceport January 12 on a 
complex deep-space trajectory to catch the Comet Wirtanen on a mission 
lasting through 2013. 

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