Rosetta Ephemeris

Rosetta Ephemeris data are calculated using SPICE kernels taken from the PSA


Coordinates :


• GSE : Geocentric Solar Ecliptic - This system has its X axis towards the Sun and its Z axis perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun (positive North). Y completes the right-handed system.
• GSM : Geocentric Solar Magnetospheric - This system has its X axis towards the Sun and its Z axis is the projection of the Earth's magnetic dipole axis (positive North) on to the plane perpendicular to the X axis. Y completes the right-handed system.
• MSO : Mars-centric Solar Orbital - the +X-axis points toward the Sun, +Z points northward perpendicular to Mars's orbit plane, and Y completes the right hand system nominally directed opposite Mars's orbital velocity around the Sun.
• HCI: Heliocentric Inertial Frame - All vectors are geometric: no aberration corrections are used. The solar rotation axis is the primary vector: the Z axis points in the solar north direction. The solar ascending node on the ecliptic of J2000 forms the X axis. The Y axis is Z cross X, completing the right-handed reference frame.
• HEE : Heliocentric Earth Ecliptic Frame - All vectors are geometric: no aberration corrections are used. The position of the Earth relative to the Sun is the primary vector: the X axis points from the Sun to the Earth. The northern surface normal to the mean ecliptic of date is the secondary vector: the Z axis is the component of this vector orthogonal to the X axis. The Y axis is Z cross X, completing the right-handed reference frame.
• HEEQ : Heliocentric Earth Equatorial Frame - All vectors are geometric: no aberration corrections are used. The solar rotation axis is the primary vector: the Z axis points in the solar north direction. The position of the Sun relative to the Earth is the secondary vector: the X axis is the component of this position vector orthogonal to the Z axis. The Y axis is Z cross X, completing the right-handed reference frame.
• CSO The body-Centered Solar Orbital frames for the Rosetta primary target comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, incidental target comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakowa (Rosetta passed through its ion tail in July 2006), and secondary targets asteroids 2867/STEINS and 21/LUTETIA are named '67P/C-G_CSO', '45P/H-M-P_CSO', '2867/STEINS_CSO', and '21/LUTETIA_CSO'. These frames are defined as a two-vector style dynamic frames as follows: - The position of the sun relative to the body is the primary vector: the X axis points from the body to the sun. - The inertially referenced velocity of the sun relative to the body is the secondary vector: the Y axis is the component of this velocity vector orthogonal to the X axis. - The Z axis is X cross Y, completing the right-handed reference frame. - All vectors are geometric: no aberration corrections are used.
• CSEQ The body-Centered Solar EQuatorial frames for the Rosetta primary target comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and secondary target asteroid 21/LUTETIA are named '67P/C-G_CSEQ' and '21/LUTETIA_CSEQ'. These frames are defined as a two-vector style dynamic frames as follows: - +X axis is the position of the Sun relative to the body; it's the primary vector and points from the body to the Sun; - +Z axis is the component of the Sun's north pole of date orthogonal to the +X axis; - +Y axis completes the right-handed reference frame; - the origin of this frame is the body's center of mass. All the vectors are geometric: no aberration corrections are used.