AEA Battery Systems Powers First Comet Landing

The European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft hopes to become the first to enter a comet’s orbit and land on its surface. AEA provided lithium-ion batteries to power the mission to study the chemical composition of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and to shed light on the origins of the solar system. The 12-year mission blasted off from Kourou, French Guiana, on March 2, 2004.

AEA’s rechargeable batteries are powering both the Rosetta spacecraft and its lander, Philae. The batteries were chosen for their reduced size and weight, approximately 50% lighter and smaller than other battery chemistries used in space exploration.

AEA’s lithium-ion battery power recently powered the Mars Express Mission, heralded as a success.