Preparatory Research for the Comet Interceptor Mission

This research project will cover several topics of relevance to the European Space Agency's Comet Interceptor mission, which is due for launch in 2028. The mission will consist of a main spacecraft and two smaller probes, which will carry several different instruments to study a comet's nucleus, gas, dust, and its interaction with the solar wind. This research could concentrate on one or more of several topics, including, but not limited to:
- The search for, and characterization of, suitable long period comets and interstellar objects using ground-based telescopes.
- A study of how multi-point measurements made by the mission, both in situ and remote, could be employed to learn about the target comet.
- Designing potential observational sequences to maximize the scientific return from the mission's instruments.
- Improving our understanding of comets' interactions with the solar wind from studying images of their ion tails, and comparing their appearance and behaviour with solar wind models.
Other research topics may arise as the mission design develops.