Websiteinterceptor.org.uk
ESA MissionComet Interceptor
Launch2028–2029
TargetL2 Lagrange Point → Pristine Comet
Active
⬡ ESA Comet Interceptor — Research Working Group
ESA — European Space Agency
Comet Interceptor
Research Working Group

Into the
Unknown
Cosmos

The working group behind the ESA Comet Interceptor mission — advancing space science through trajectory analysis, scientific software development and mission-critical computation.

Explore the Mission Apply for Membership
2029
Launch Year
32
Spacecraft
16
Nations
L2
Parking Orbit
mission_status.sh
$ comet-interceptor --status
Loading ESA Comet Interceptor telemetry...
 
mission "ESA Comet Interceptor"
class "F-class / Fast Mission"
launch "2028–2029 (Ariane 6)"
co-passenger "ESA ARIEL telescope"
parking_orbit "Sun-Earth L2 (1.5M km)"
target "dynamically-new comet / interstellar object"
partners ["ESA","JAXA","OHB","16 nations"]
 
✓ Spacecraft integration ongoing
✓ Instrument MAIT activities underway
 
$
01 — Mission

ESA Comet Interceptor

// Mission Facts
Lead AgencyESA + JAXA
ProgrammeCosmic Vision F-class
ProposedJuly 2018
SelectedJune 2019
AdoptedJune 2022
Launch2028–2029 (Ariane 6)
Spacecraft Mass~600 kg total
Budgetmax €150M (bus only)
Prime ContractorOHB (signed Dec 2022)
Principal InvestigatorGeraint Jones, MSSL/UCL

ESA Comet Interceptor is a pioneering robotic mission that will be the first ever to visit a dynamically-new comet — a pristine body making its first journey into the inner Solar System, carrying material untouched since the formation of the Sun and planets over 4.6 billion years ago.

Unlike any mission before it, Comet Interceptor will launch without a known target. The spacecraft will be parked at the gravitationally stable Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2 — 1.5 million kilometres from Earth — and wait up to three years for a suitable long-period comet or even an interstellar object (like the famous ʻOumuamua of 2017) to enter the inner Solar System on a reachable trajectory.

Once a target is identified, the mission will deploy all three spacecraft on an intercept course. Previous comet missions — ESA's Giotto (1986) and Rosetta (2004–2016) — studied short-period comets that had passed the Sun many times and were heavily processed. Comet Interceptor will study something far more primordial.

The mission is ESA's first F-class (Fast-class) mission under the Cosmic Vision programme — developed in under ten years at capped cost. It will launch as co-passenger with the ARIEL exoplanet atmosphere telescope aboard an Ariane 6 rocket.

01
Our Role
The Interceptor working group contributes to trajectory analysis, scientific software development, orbital mechanics computation, and data pipeline engineering in direct support of the ESA Comet Interceptor mission.
02
Open Science
All tools, datasets and methodologies developed by this group are published openly. Reproducibility and transparency underpin everything we do.
03
International Collaboration
We work alongside ESA, JAXA and partner institutions across 16 nations. Our members span disciplines from astrodynamics and astrophysics to software engineering and data science.
02 — Spacecraft

Three-Module Architecture

The mission consists of a primary spacecraft and two probes that will travel together to L2, then separate 1–2 days before the cometary flyby to observe the target simultaneously from multiple angles, building a 3D profile of the comet.

🛸
MODULE A // Primary Spacecraft
Spacecraft A

The main spacecraft, built by ESA / OHB. Passes furthest from the comet nucleus during flyby and acts as data relay — storing science data from Probes B1 and B2 for later transmission to Earth. Carries the primary science instrument suite.

// Instruments
CoCa — Comet Camera (wide-field imager)
OPIC — Optical periscope instrument camera
MIRMIS — Mid-infrared & near-infrared spectrometer
MANIAC — Neutral ion and coma analyser
COMPLIMENT — Dust, fields & plasma package
🔬
MODULE B1 // European Probe (ESA)
Probe B1

A smaller ESA-built probe that separates shortly before flyby and ventures closer to the comet nucleus than Spacecraft A. Carries complementary instruments focused on coma composition, dust flux and plasma. Solar panels provided by MMA Space (selected Sept 2024).

// Instruments
LEES — Langmuir electric and electron sensor
DFP-B1 — Dust, fields & plasma
CBK — Magnetometer package
CEBOX — Cometary energetic particle box
🇯🇵
MODULE B2 // Japanese Probe (JAXA)
Probe B2

Provided by JAXA — Japan's space agency, renowned for the Hayabusa asteroid sample-return missions. Probe B2 ventures closest to the comet nucleus of all three spacecraft, performing high-risk, high-reward close-proximity science at the innermost coma boundary.

// Instruments
WAC — Wide angle camera
CMDM — Comet dust monitor
Near-UV / visible spectrometer
Plasma wave instrument
03 — Research

Our Research Projects

Propose a Project →
Active
📡
PRJ-001 // Astrodynamics
Trajectory Analysis & Target Selection

Development and validation of trajectory optimisation algorithms for the Comet Interceptor mission. Includes virtual target analysis — assessing whether currently known comets could serve as viable flyby targets if the spacecraft were already at L2. Linked to the challenge of selecting the optimal closest-approach distance based on estimated cometary activity.

PythonC++N-BodyDelta-VSPICE
Active
🖥️
PRJ-002 // Scientific Software
Orbital Mechanics Simulator

An open-source, high-fidelity n-body orbital simulator with a browser-based 3D visualisation layer. Supports Newtonian and post-Newtonian corrections for accurate cometary orbit modelling. Designed for both internal mission planning support and as an educational tool for the wider scientific community.

C++WebGLThree.jsPhysics EngineOpen Source
In Development
🔭
PRJ-003 // Data & Instrumentation
Camera Simulation & Testing

Development of photorealistic computer-generated imagery for testing spacecraft camera systems under simulated cometary encounter conditions — building on the approach of the Latvian CI3D project (delivered to ESA May 2025). Generating synthetic datasets of comet nucleus surfaces, gas comae and dust environments for instrument calibration and AI-based classification pipelines.

BlenderPythonMLImage SynthesisOPIC
04 — People

Core Research Team

Our founding members bring together expertise across astrodynamics, astrophysics, data science and systems engineering in direct support of the ESA Comet Interceptor mission. New members are admitted by application only.

Ing. Thomas Anderson
Ing. Thomas Anderson
Software project managers

31 years of experience, 8 years at SpaceX, 42 software projects, creator of the FH landing program

Kaila Sanderson
Kaila Sanderson
Lead Developer

Scientific software engineer focused on mission-critical data pipelines, 3D visualisation systems and astrodynamics tooling for cometary orbit modelling.

Chloe Namara
Chloe Namara
Physicist · Simulation

Theoretical physicist specialising in orbital mechanics, n-body numerical integration and post-Newtonian corrections for high-precision trajectory computation.

Abigaill O'Brian
Abigaill O'Brian
Data Scientist

Machine learning researcher working on synthetic image generation and automated classification pipelines for cometary nucleus and coma data.

05 — Membership

Apply to Join

Interceptor is a closed research working group operating in support of the ESA Comet Interceptor mission. Membership is granted by application and reviewed by the core team. We look for people who bring genuine expertise, rigour and a commitment to collaborative science.

// What we look for
Background in astrodynamics, astrophysics, physics, mathematics or scientific software engineering
Active contribution to at least one research project in the group
Commitment to open science principles and reproducible research
Ability to collaborate in a distributed, international environment
Genuine interest in ESA Comet Interceptor and cometary science

Applications are reviewed within 14 days. You will be contacted at the email address provided. All data is handled in accordance with applicable privacy regulations.

Membership Application REF: INTR-2026
* Required fields. Your application will be sent to info@interceptor.org.uk and reviewed by the core team within 14 days.
✦
Application Received

Thank you for applying. Your application has been forwarded to the core team at info@interceptor.org.uk and will be reviewed within 14 days. We will be in touch.