Kristin Wirth

Rosetta Science Ground Segment Manager

I have a broad interest in science and engineering, but a special fascination
is coming from space exploration and astronomy. Therefore I am glad to be part
of the Rosetta mission that will rendezvous with comet
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. I joined ESA and the Rosetta Science
Operations Centre (RSOC) in 2003, which was half a year before the Rosetta
launch. Since then I have been coordinating the experiment operations on board
of Rosetta. I spent more than four years at ESTEC until I moved to ESAC and
took over the management of the RSOC team. Highlights of the Rosetta cruise
phase so far have been the flyby at asteroid 2867 Steins, the observation of
the encounter of the Deep Impact probe with comet 9P/Tempel 1, the Mars swingby
and two Earth swingbys. Rosetta will make use of a last Earth swingby for
trajectory modification and then study asteroid 21 Lutetia during a close flyby
before entering into Deep Space Hibernation Mode. With the active cruise phase
coming to an end, we are now shifting our focus towards the development of the
science operations planning concept, procedures, interfaces and software for
the comet phase.

I have studied physics at the Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany and obtained a
Ph.D. from the Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State Research and the University
of Stuttgart, Germany. During this time I have specialised on solid state
surface science because I enjoy performing hands-on experiments in the
laboratory. Later I found out that the knowledge of experimental techniques
that I gained there, is valuable in understanding how the in situ instruments
on Rosetta work.

Afterwards I joined Siemens Semiconductors in Munich, Germany, which became
Infineon one year later. There I performed electrical and physical failure
analysis of microelectronic devices. The task consisted of localising and
imaging the defect site on a failed microchip, while the miniaturisation and
complexity of the fabrication technologies was rapidly progressing.
Consequently I moved to the University of Technology Berlin, Germany to further
develop microchip failure analysis methods. And then it was time to follow my
fascination for space.