Rosetta Mission: The probe Philae landing on the comet 67P – La Vanguardia

Barcelona. (Editorial) .- Philae is already on the surface of the Comet 67P . This was confirmed by the European Space Agency ( ESA ) to 17.03. This is a milestone for Science , and never had a ship landed on a comet. Philae can now provide an important information about comets and thus find many details hitherto unknown about the origin of the solar system.

“The harpoons are fired. We are on the surface. We are in the comet “Stefan announced Ulamec, project director of Philae. The first words of Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general of the European Space Agency, illustrating the importance of the moment. “This is a big step for human civilization”

Throughout the day, Philae and Rosetta had to overcome a series of complex benchmarks for the probe could get safely to the surface of the comet. Among them, a change of course from the mother ship to point to the chosen destination, a precise separation between the Rosetta and Philae to target the comet and landing high risk that the probe was bound with a harpoon and three screws not fly off into space.

In 0906, the first hurdle was overcome successfully. The Rosetta spacecraft completed the maneuver trajectory change to send a probe to Philae comet 67P. I used to be in a circular orbit around the comet, and at the time and pointed directly at the sun.

The second major obstacle was spared a few minutes later, at 09.35. Philae is desacoplaba Rosetta successfully, although in the center of mission control in Darmstadt (Germany) had to wait 28 agonizing minutes (the time it takes to reach Earth Rosetta sending information from a distance of 510 million kilometers) to get confirmation. Ultimately, however, the good news has arrived.

Andrea Accomazzo, flight director of the Rosetta mission, head of the separation maneuver Rosetta and Philae probe has gone well, receiving a standing ovation from colleagues in the control center . Hugs, more applause, congratulations. The probe Philae was flying alone to comet 67P.

After separation, Rosetta and Philae have been flying together for 40 minutes towards the 67P. Then, when you have approached some 20 kilometers from the surface of the star, Rosetta has shifted back to be in a circular orbit of 67P alredeodor.

There has been a particularly critical time. It happened at 10:14. Just then, the control center lost contact with the probe Philae, just as planned. Philae until then communicated via Rosetta, which had just separated.

At 12.06, peace has returned to the control center. Accomazzo, flight director, clenched his fist as if to say: “We’ve done it!”. Philae was still alive.

Hours later, Philae which has needed to close and finally reach the comet 67P, specifically at 17.03, arriving information to the control center of Philae had landed successfully on the 67P .