Google Doodle …. First controlled touchdown on comet nucleus!!

~~November 12, 2014~~

Philae touches down on the surface of a comet

London (CNN) — Touchdown! The Philae probe has landed on the surface of a comet, scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) announced Wednesday.

It is the first time a soft landing has been achieved on a comet.

However, project scientists believe anchors that hold the probe to the surface failed to work properly and are now trying to find out why, according to ESA tweets.

ESA lander system engineer Laurence O’Rourke told CNN that engineers are still checking the data to see “how we landed and where we landed.”

Shortly after landing was confirmed, the probe tweeted: “Touchdown! My new address: 67P!” Later, it tweeted again: “I’m on the surface but my harpoons did not fire.”

ESA director Jean-Jacques Dordain told colleagues who had waited anxiously for confirmation of the landing. “This is a big step for human civilization. The biggest problem with success is it looks easy.”

“As it appears in … “

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/12/world/comet-landing-countdown/index.html

~~GALLERY~~

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Philae is a robotic European Space Agency lander that accompanied the Rosetta spacecraft until its designed landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, over ten years after departing Earth. On 12 November 2014, the lander achieved the first controlled touchdown on a comet nucleus. Its instruments are expected to obtain the first images from a comet’s surface and make the first in situ analysis to determine its composition.

The lander is named after Philae Island in the Nile where an obelisk was found and used, along with the Rosetta Stone, to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics.

“As it appears in … “

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philae_(spacecraft)

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~~Preparing for #CometLanding~~

~~Published on Nov 5, 2014~~

After a ten-year journey, Rosetta and Philae had finally reached their destination, Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Rosetta spent many weeks studying the comet, sending lots of information back to Earth. But where was Philae going to land? Eventually the scientists on Earth found the best place on the comet for Philae to land. Soon it was time to make the final preparations for Philae’s great adventure. Both spacecraft couldn’t wait any longer. The whole world would be watching as Rosetta and Philae prepared for their biggest challenge yet ….