Naomi G. Gomez
Madrid, November 15 (EFE) .- Rosetta is the most complex mission that has been carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA), whose leaders insist they are and will continue being a success despite the problems of Philae module, currently in mode idle due to lack of energy and grabbed two of her three legs Comet.
Philae split last Wednesday of the Rosetta toward its goal The comet 67 / P Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and before entering hibernation managed to complete one of its main tasks: turn the other instruments, including chemical and bore spectrometer, and send data .
This is “somewhat important,” said Miguel Perez-Efe Ayúcar leading Science Operations and Planning Rosetta, since data from both were on board Philae, which had no time to send in their junior contact communications with Rosetta. The drill hole is responsible for the comet’s surface, collect samples and analyze them in a small “spot” lab.
With this, the ESA has data around the “pack” instrument of Philae, as density, thermal and mechanical properties of the comet’s surface, plus a few snapshots, “only to have the high resolution images of how the area is already a success and a milestone”
Also. mission, because as pointed Pérez-Ayúcar, landing Philae is only part of a project that will last until late 2015 or early 2016, months in which it is intended Rosetta chase the comet on its way to the sun.
managed Philae landing on the comet on the 12th after three landings and two rebounds, he did not fall at set point, after a scare that brought the consequences.
And it that, after seven hours flying, Philae could not fire their harpoons designed to dig into the surface to two meters.
However, the main problem of the module these days is not so much its fixity, but . the lack of light received
The place where he fell, still not known with accuracy where-it is in shadow, surrounded by rocks: in the right area had had seven hours of sunlight a day that would have allowed charging batteries against the current time and a half.
In a last attempt to get more light, experts from ESA last night made a rotation maneuver to reorient the panel larger and more sunshine.
“This guidance is expected to get about three times more electric power, which is most likely not enough to wake Philae in the coming hours or days” indicates Pérez-Ayúcar, who stresses that the situation would improve as the comet approaches the sun: “The sun intensity increase and with this new direction there are real opportunities to awaken later”
Yet. this morning has opened a new window of communication with Philae, although given the low power of available researchers see communication very difficult.
Perez-Ayúcar stresses that knew the landing would be difficult “There was a 70% chance of success,” and that this success could be partial
Diego Rodríguez, director of Space and Defense Sener, one of the Spanish companies that participated in Rosetta. – Philae no Spaniard development, Pérez-Ayúcar matches in the Rosetta mission has been a success: “The images of his own descent are science. It’s amazing the amount of information that researchers can take any data that is received. “
In addition, he continues,” the most important science remains the Rosetta does. “
And why is it important? Rosetta help you discover whether comets were involved in the formation of life on Earth.
The astronaut Pedro Duque tells Efe that Rosetta is built on “the solid foundation of previous 70 ESA space missions, all of whom have worked 100% and Philae is built on the foundation of illusion, courage, assumptions that no one has been found and the risk was obvious. “
“This whole mission will forever be a turning point in the study of the origin of our solar system, and on the way to solving the big question: Where did we come from?”
“. is proud to confirm that the ESA may be the agency community and industry number one when we start something and we get the resources, “says Duke.
No comments:
Post a Comment