Scientists have successfully landed a probe on the surface of a comet in an historic first for space exploration, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Wednesday. The lander, named Philae, left the Rosetta spacecraft earlier on Wednesday. After a seven hour descent, scientists at ESA confirmed its safe landing on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, just after 1600 GMT. The landing is the climax of a 10-year mission and was fraught with risk, given the unknown surface terrain of the comet. The team had also discovered that the thruster on board the lander, designed to help it anchor to the surface, was not functioning correctly.
European scientists launched a probe from spaceship Rosetta on Wednesday in an historic attempt to examine the surface of a comet, starting a seven-hour descent that marks the most nail-biting phase of a ten-year mission Overcoming technical glitches, the European Space Agency craft jettisoned its lander on schedule at around 0900 GMT to collect samples from the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which it has been orbiting since August.
The material that the lander, named Philae, analyses in the first contact of its kind will give insight into how Earth and other planets formed.
Comets are remnants of the formation of the 4.6-billion-year-old solar system. Scientists believe they may have brought much of the water in today's oceans. The launch went ahead despite a problem with the thruster that was due to help stop the lander from bouncing back off the comet's surface, which means it may have to rely mainly on its harpoons to anchor it. he team had to release the three-legged lander at exactly the right time and speed because there is no way of controlling it on its descent. After a period out of radio contact, mission control linked back up with both Rosetta and Philae as expected shortly after 1100 GMT, the ESA said.
Engineers designed the lander not knowing what type of terrain they would find on the comet's surface. Rosetta has been taking pictures of the comet and collecting samples from its atmosphere as it approaches the sun, showing it is not as smooth as initially hoped, making landing tricky. The surface is also more dusty and porous than expected. The probe needed to land somewhere not too dusty or dark, so that light can reach its solar panels and power its instruments once its batteries run out after two and a half days.
Had it not managed a smooth touchdown, it will complement studies already under way by Rosetta. Philae includes experiments to test a molecule's symmetrical construction, or chirality. Amino acids on Earth are 'left-handed,' while DNA and RNA are 'right-handed.' Scientists are curious how the comet's samples compare.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Philae")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}