Micro-Epsilon Group Contributes to Rosetta Comet Mission
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Micro-Hybrid Electronic GmbH is part of the Micro-Epsilon group and provides aerospace-grade sensor elements for the Rosetta space probe.
As part of the Rosetta space probe, the "Philae" lander was deployed onto the Churyumov–Gerasimenko Comet on 12 November 2014. The lander is equipped with scientific instruments that analyse the comet's surface. The sensor and evaluation electronics of one of these instruments, the APXS (Alpha Protons and X-ray Spectrometer) were designed by Micro-Hybrid Electronic GmbH in Hermsdorf (Germany) and qualified for this mission in close cooperation with the German Max Planck Institute in Mainz. "The components must withstand enormous cosmic radiation and temperatures of around -100 degrees Centigrade", explained Senior Project Manager Dipl.-Ing. Karl-Heinz Suphan from Micro-Hybrid. When the landing was completed, the full functionality of the module was confirmed after a long 10-year flight time in space.
The 1.3 billion euro Rosetta project was launched in 2004. It is the first mission in history to rendezvous with a comet, escort it as it orbits the Sun, and deploy a lander to its surface. Based on the gathered data, the scientists hope to find out more about how the Earth was developed. The mission is expected to end in December 2015.
Based in Thuringian Hermsdorf in Germany, Micro-Hybrid has developed and designed microelectronic components and sensors since 1992.
