10 ms·
No, Rosetta is already in orbit around the comet. By the principle of conservation of momentum the impact will not change the total momentum of the system (come
by symmetricsaurus 10y ago
No, Rosetta is already in orbit around the comet. By the principle of conservation of momentum the impact will not change the total momentum of the system (comet plus spacecraft).
The changes in trajectory happens when the engines are used on the spacecraft.
- AnimalMuppet 10y agoWhich means that Rosetta already affected the trajectory of the comet - when it entered orbit.
- dandelany 10y agoWould this still hold true if Rosetta were commanded to slam into the comet hard enough for some of the impact debris to reach escape velocity? (Not trying to nitpick your argument, it certainly holds true for the soft landing case, but I'm curious how strong this axiom is)