Comet Interceptor will be the first mission to visit a comet arriving directly from the outer reaches of the solar system, carrying material that has remained untouched since the dawn of the solar system. The mission—which will utilize three probes to study a pristine comet from multiple perspectives—aims to yield fundamental insights into the formation of our solar system. Under the leadership of Imperial College London, a magnetometer for this mission was also built at the IWF in Graz. Here at the Conrad Observatory of Geosphere Austria, the magnetometers are being calibrated, and the high-precision timing synchronization tests—essential for multi-point data acquisition—are being conducted. The launch of Comet Interceptor is currently scheduled for late 2028 or early 2029, utilizing an Ariane launch vehicle from Kourou, French Guiana.
Further information: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/iwf/aktuelles/layer/news/meilenstein-fuer-esa-mission-comet-interceptor