Rosetta mission: Philae lander reaches comet 67P but its battery may die soon
TomoNews US
2015-04-14
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After landing on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko three times, the Rosetta spacecraft probe, Philae, is now resting in the shade of a creator wall, which is blocking it’s ability to receive solar energy.
The Philae lander arrived on comet 67P on Wednesday but as its harpoons failed to deploy it was sent about 1 kilometer back into the space, the BBC reported.
After floating for two hours, Philae made contact again then bounced off its surface once more. This smaller bounce lasted seven minutes, according to Science News.
The lander is now resting near a crater lip, one kilometer away from its supposed landing site, standing on only two unanchored legs.
The ESA was hoping the machine could pick up between six and seven hours of sunlight each day but, given its location, it will probably receive just 90 minutes.
The lack of light means Philae’s battery will probably die soon, making it likely the lander will be stop operating after Saturday.
Philae got to 67P after being carried by ESA's Rosetta spacecraft for 10-year.
Rosetta was launched by the European Space Agency on March 2, 2004 on board an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, in French Guiana.
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The Philae lander arrived on comet 67P on Wednesday but as its harpoons failed to deploy it was sent about 1 kilometer back into the space, the BBC reported.
After floating for two hours, Philae made contact again then bounced off its surface once more. This smaller bounce lasted seven minutes, according to Science News.
The lander is now resting near a crater lip, one kilometer away from its supposed landing site, standing on only two unanchored legs.
The ESA was hoping the machine could pick up between six and seven hours of sunlight each day but, given its location, it will probably receive just 90 minutes.
The lack of light means Philae’s battery will probably die soon, making it likely the lander will be stop operating after Saturday.
Philae got to 67P after being carried by ESA's Rosetta spacecraft for 10-year.
Rosetta was launched by the European Space Agency on March 2, 2004 on board an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, in French Guiana.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.
For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS
Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt-WqkTyKK1_70U4bb4k4lQ?sub_confirmation=1
Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: https://us.tomonews.net
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