ROSETTA-ORBITER RPCICA: Solar Wind and Cometary Ion Measurements Pre-Landing

Pre-landing phase data from the RPCICA instrument on the ROSETTA mission, containing resampled calibrated measurements of solar wind and cometary ions. The dataset is separated into four physical mass ranges for H+, He++, He+, and heavier ions (mass 1, 2, 4, 16 amu and above). It was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling solar wind interaction with comet 67P's atmosphere based on ion mass range data.
• Analyzing temporal changes in ion composition during the Rosetta mission's pre-landing phase.
• Comparing undisturbed solar wind measurements with measurements influenced by the comet's atmosphere.
• Studying the distribution of H+, He++, He+, and heavier ions in a cometary environment.

Strengths

• Data is calibrated and resampled, suggesting a processed, analysis-ready format.
• Separates measurements into four specific ion mass ranges (1, 2, 4, 16 amu and above).
• Captures a distinct observational phase: undisturbed solar wind transitioning to comet-influenced measurements.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements from the RPCICA instrument on the ROSETTA spacecraft.

Time Range

Pre-landing phase of the ROSETTA mission at comet 67P.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 18:51:45.440128; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Space, in the vicinity of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.