Rosetta Comet Landing: Latest Pictures And News After Dramatic Multiple Touchdown

Stunning New Pictures From The Surface Of Rosetta's Comet
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The European space craft which landed on a comet on Wednesday bounced after touchdown, and flew more than a kilometer before landing again, bouncing a third time and finally coming to a halt.

Now researchers are trying to work out where the lander is - and what kind of science they can do until its power runs out.

ESA said in a press conference that the lander is currently balancing on two feet, with one foot in open space. It may try in the coming days to reorient the lander so that all three feet are stable on the surface.

But it is still unclear where the lander actually is, and exactly how it got there.

The lander is lying deep in a shadowy cliff edge, and is receiving less solar power than ESA was hoping for.

Here is the latest image of the lander - it's a before and after so you can see where the lander actually is.

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The first jump after the rover landed lasted about two hours, having raised at a rate of about 38 centimetres per second. It rose about a kilometre and then fell, and rose again for seven minutes before landing for a third and final time.

ESA also produced an animation of Philae descending to the comet.

Other things we know so far include:

  • Philae bounced more than 1,000 metres after its initial landing, because planned systems to keep it in place - harpoons, ice screws and a thruster - did not work.
  • Philae landed on the core of the comet, an area not photographed in detail.
  • There is just 1-2 hours of sunlight a day in the spot where the lander now is, meaning it will lack for power until at least a few days' time.
  • Drilling is currently on hold because there is just 50-55 hours of battery time.
  • The probe was gathering data all the time it was bouncing.
  • It's not on hard ground with about 30cm of dust.
  • Solar panels are working, radio is working.

Dr Daniel Brown, an astronomy expert at Nottingham Trent University, said:

“Philae has been on the comet for just one day, but the sense of tension and awe it has created has been remarkable. It is a huge relief to hear that Philae is still functioning and gathering data and images. The amount of emotion we have seen from the team since the landing shows that science does not come from the head alone, but from the heart and soul too. Space and planetary exploration is touching the very core of what we are about, challenging the impossible and shedding light on the unknown. One look at the images sent back from Rosetta and Philae confirm this.”

Rosetta: A Visual History
At first it was just a model...(01 of19)
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Seen here with European Space Agency Director of Science Prof Roger Bonnet in 2003. (credit:Matthew Fearn/PA Archive)
And then they built it for real.(02 of19)
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Workers are seen at spacecraft Rosetta with thermal blankets during testing in the Large Space Simulator in the Netherlands in 2004. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Preparing for launch,(03 of19)
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The European Ariane V rocket, carrying spacecraft Rosetta, stands at its launching pad at the Kourou space base, French Guiana, Wednesday Feb. 25, 2004. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The Launch.(04 of19)
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On the 2 March 2004 Rosetta started its 10 year mission, launching from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
And it left us behind.(05 of19)
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This handout picture from the European Space Agency (ESA) retrieved on September 3, 2008 shows an artist's rendition of ESA's probe Rosetta leaving Earth. (credit:Getty Images)
This was the target.(06 of19)
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This rather daunting image shows the size of the comet, providing some perspective of the titanic task that ESA is facing.
It's big.(07 of19)
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(08 of19)
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Artist's impression of the European Space Agency (ESA) probe Rosetta with Mars in the background. It also passed by Jupiter, slingshotting around the planet to gain speed in order to catch up with Comet 67P. (credit:Getty Images)
The comet came closer...(09 of19)
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(credit:APN)
(10 of19)
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Taken at a distance of around 110km this image was taken in August 2014 and shows on of the clearest images yet of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
(11 of19)
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The image shows the spectacular region of activity at the 'neck' of 67P/C-G. This is the product of ices sublimating and gases escaping from inside the comet, carrying streams of dust out into space.
Rosetta 'Selfie'(12 of19)
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This incredible double exposure image was taken at just 16km. In the foreground you can see one of Rosetta's large 14m solar wings while in the background is the comet itself.
(13 of19)
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Rosetta OSIRIS wide-angle camera image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko shows the extensive activity taking place at the 'neck' of the comet.
It picked its landing site.(14 of19)
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This small, unassuming patch of ground is where the ESA hopes to make history by being the first organisation to land on a comet. The photo is a collage of different images taken from around 30km.
And now?(15 of19)
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This image provided by the European Space Agency ESA shows an artists impression of the Rosetta orbiter deploying the Philae lander to comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko (credit:AP)
How Will It Land?(16 of19)
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To help avoid any unnecessary complications the ESA is taking no chances. Once the thruster pushes Philae onto the comet's surface foot screws will immediately lock the lander down while tiny Harpoons will shoot down, essentially 'anchoring' the tiny lander.
Exploring A Comet(17 of19)
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Undated artistic sketch of Philae on the comet. (credit:Getty Images)
And now we wait.(18 of19)
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Employees work in the control room of ESA in Darmstadt, Germany. (credit:AP)
(19 of19)
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The picture taken with the navigation camera on Rosetta and released by the European Space Agency ESA shows the boulder-strewn neck region of Comet 67P/ChuryumovâGerasimenko, with the smaller lobe on the left and the larger lobe on the right. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)