The Comet Interceptor Mission
Authors: Jones Geraint H. , Snodgrass Colin , Tubiana Cecilia , Küppers Michael , Kawakita Hideyo , Lara Luisa M. , Agarwal Jessica , André Nicolas , Attree Nicholas , Auster Uli , Bagnulo Stefano , Bannister Michele , Beth Arnaud , Bowles Neil , Coates Andrew , Colangeli Luigi , Corral van Damme Carlos , Da Deppo Vania , De Keyser Johan , Della Corte Vincenzo , Edberg Niklas , El-Maarry Mohamed Ramy , Faggi Sara , Fulle Marco , Funase Ryu , Galand Marina , Goetz Charlotte , Groussin Olivier , Guilbert-Lepoutre Aurélie , Henri Pierre , Kasahara Satoshi , Kereszturi Akos , Kidger Mark , Knight Matthew , Kokotanekova Rosita , Kolmasova Ivana , Kossacki Konrad , Kührt Ekkehard , Kwon Yuna , La Forgia Fiorangela , Levasseur-Regourd Anny-Chantal , Lippi Manuela , Longobardo Andrea , Marschall Raphael , Morawski Marek , Muñoz Olga , Näsilä Antti , Nilsson Hans , Opitom Cyrielle , Pajusalu Mihkel , Pommerol Antoine , Prech Lubomir , Rando Nicola , Ratti Francesco , Rothkaehl Hanna , Rotundi Alessandra , Rubin Martin , Sakatani Naoya , Sánchez Joan Pau , Simon Wedlund Cyril , Stankov Anamarija , Thomas Nicolas , Toth Imre , Villanueva Geronimo , Vincent Jean-Baptiste , Volwerk Martin , Wurz Peter , Wielders Arno , Yoshioka Kazuo , Aleksiejuk Konrad , Alvarez Fernando , Amoros Carine , Aslam Shahid , Atamaniuk Barbara , Baran Jędrzej , Barciński Tomasz , Beck Thomas , Behnke Thomas , Berglund Martin , Bertini Ivano , Bieda Marcin , Binczyk Piotr , Busch Martin-Diego , Cacovean Andrei , Capria Maria Teresa , Carr Chris , Castro Marín José María , Ceriotti Matteo , Chioetto Paolo , Chuchra-Konrad Agata , Cocola Lorenzo , Colin Fabrice , Crews Chiaki , Cripps Victoria , Cupido Emanuele , Dassatti Alberto , Davidsson Björn J. R. , De Roche Thierry , Deca Jan , Del Togno Simone , Dhooghe Frederik , Donaldson Hanna Kerri , Eriksson Anders , Fedorov Andrey , Fernández-Valenzuela Estela , Ferretti Stefano , Floriot Johan , Frassetto Fabio , Fredriksson Jesper , Garnier Philippe , Gaweł Dorota , Génot Vincent , Gerber Thomas , Glassmeier Karl-Heinz , Granvik Mikael , Grison Benjamin , Gunell Herbert , Hachemi Tedjani , Hagen Christian , Hajra Rajkumar , Harada Yuki , Hasiba Johann , Haslebacher Nico , Herranz De La Revilla Miguel Luis , Hestroffer Daniel , Hewagama Tilak , Holt Carrie , Hviid Stubbe , Iakubivskyi Iaroslav , Inno Laura , Irwin Patrick , Ivanovski Stavro , Jansky Jiri , Jernej Irmgard , Jeszenszky Harald , Jimenéz Jaime , Jorda Laurent , Kama Mihkel , Kameda Shingo , Kelley Michael S. P. , Klepacki Kamil , Kohout Tomáš , Kojima Hirotsugu , Kowalski Tomasz , Kuwabara Masaki , Ladno Michal , Laky Gunter , Lammer Helmut , Lan Radek , Lavraud Benoit , Lazzarin Monica , Le Duff Olivier , Lee Qiu-Mei , Lesniak Cezary , Lewis Zoe , Lin Zhong-Yi , Lister Tim , Lowry Stephen , Magnes Werner , Markkanen Johannes , Martinez Navajas Ignacio , Martins Zita , Matsuoka Ayako , Matyjasiak Barbara , Mazelle Christian , Mazzotta Epifani Elena , Meier Mirko , Michaelis Harald , Micheli Marco , Migliorini Alessandra , Millet Aude-Lyse , Moreno Fernando , Mottola Stefano , Moutounaick Bruno , Muinonen Karri , Müller Daniel R. , Murakami Go , Murata Naofumi , Myszka Kamil , Nakajima Shintaro , Nemeth Zoltan , Nikolajev Artiom , Nordera Simone , Ohlsson Dan , Olesk Aire , Ottacher Harald , Ozaki Naoya , Oziol Christophe , Patel Manish , Savio Paul Aditya , Penttilä Antti , Pernechele Claudio , Peterson Joakim , Petraglio Enrico , Piccirillo Alice Maria , Plaschke Ferdinand , Polak Szymon , Postberg Frank , Proosa Herman , Protopapa Silvia , Puccio Walter , Ranvier Sylvain , Raymond Sean , Richter Ingo , Rieder Martin , Rigamonti Roberto , Ruiz Rodriguez Irene , Santolik Ondrej , Sasaki Takahiro , Schrödter Rolf , Shirley Katherine , Slavinskis Andris , Sodor Balint , Soucek Jan , Stephenson Peter , Stöckli Linus , Szewczyk Paweł , Troznai Gabor , Uhlir Ludek , Usami Naoto , Valavanoglou Aris , Vaverka Jakub , Wang Wei , Wang Xiao-Dong , Wattieaux Gaëtan , Wieser Martin , Wolf Sebastian , Yano Hajime , Yoshikawa Ichiro , Zakharov Vladimir , Zawistowski Tomasz , Zuppella Paola , Rinaldi Giovanna , Ji Hantao 
Published: January 2024

Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA’s F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum $\varDelta $
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V capability of $600\text{ ms}^{-1}$
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. Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes – B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 – that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission’s science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.