Rosetta lander Philae – Landing performance and touchdown safety assessment

This paper describes the simulation and analysis work on Rosetta lander Philae׳s touchdown dynamics which was done to support its Landing Site Selection Process. The simulation part consists of a numerical multi-body simulation to describe Philae׳s touchdown dynamics. Suitable performance metrics in conjunction with Monte Carlo trajectory data from the flight dynamics analysis yields landing area specific landing gear performance and safety figures. These were then incorporated into the site selection process with regard to landing system performance margins and touchdown safety. While Philae finally made a nearly successful landing the actual flight data were used to review and discuss the applicability of the presented simulation and analysis scheme. •A numerical touchdown simulation to support landing site assessment is presented.•Suitable metrics to measure landing performance and touchdown safety are presented.•Analysis results allow a clear safety ranking of Philae׳s landing site candidates.•Post-flight analysis confirms the general suitability of the applied analysis scheme.