Rosetta Spacecraft (Artist's Concept) – The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, which carries three NASA instruments, is expected to "wake up" on Jan. 20. The Rosetta mission is set to observe a space-bound icy dirt ball from up close -- for months on end. The spacecraft, festooned with 25 instruments between its lander and orbiter (including three from NASA) will monitor comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko as it makes its nosedive into, and then climb out of, the inner solar system. An artist's view of Rosetta: The spacecraft is covered with dark thermal insulation in order to retain its warmth while venturing into the coldness of the outer solar system, beyond Mars orbit. NASA's contribution includes three of the orbiter's instruments (the Microwave Instrument for Rosetta Orbiter, the Ion and Electron Sensor and an ultraviolet spectrometer called Alice). NASA is also providing part of the electronics package for an instrument called the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer, which ...