Rosetta: Waiting game after comet lander glitch

[webfact]

Rosetta: Waiting game after comet lander glitch

(BBC) A European robot probe has made the first, historic landing on a comet, but its status is uncertain after harpoons failed to anchor it to the surface.

Officials said the craft may have lifted off the comet after touchdown before returning to the surface.

Lander project manager Stephan Ulamec said: "Maybe we didn't just land once, we landed twice."

The European Space Agency's director general described the landing as "a big step for human civilisation".

Further analysis is needed to fully understand the status of the probe, known as Philae.

However, Dr Ulamec told the BBC that at last radio contact with the probe that he believed it to be in a stable configuration.

"This is the indication right now," he explained. "We really have to wait until tomorrow morning and then we will know a lot more."

The "first" landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was confirmed at about 1605 GMT.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30026398

-- BBC 2014-11-13

[Somtamnication]

An incredible feat.

[Goshawk]

Bravo

Apophis . . . here we come ! (gulp)

[WilliamCave]

If his is successful how long before the next step landing a maned space craft on a comet

Bravo for sure

[emilymat]

Watched it live online last night.

Absolutely incredible and it took me back to when we watched Apollo 8 (not 11) when it orbited the moon on Xmas Day in 1968 and televised that 'earth rise'.

The technology for this mission is 15 years old. Imagine what can be done in the future.

Gobsmacked for sure by this.

[Daffy D]

Awesome stuff

The craft has taken 10 years to reach the comet, when you consider that the whole universe is moving it's an amazing feat of navigation just to get there.

[webfact]

Robot probe Philae, that made historic landing on comet, now stable after failing to attach to surface, BBC learns

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30034060

[garyinhuahin]

If his is successful how long before the next step landing a maned space craft on a comet

Bravo for sure

Quite a long time, I'm sure. It took Rosetta 10 years to chase and match speed with the comet. We have nothing like the technology to keep humans alive in space for anything like that length of time. Not to mention that Rosetta doesn't have to make a return journey.

Unmanned craft are incredibly productive and cost-effective for exploring the solar system. imho, we should be deploying more of them and worrying less about humans in space. We've been pursuing that for half-a-century, have spent incredible amounts of money on it, and are still limited (except briefly in the late 60s) to low Earth orbit.

[webfact]

Scientists back in touch with comet probe

MELBOURNE: -- Scientists have re-established communication with the Philae space probe, which made history by landing on a comet.

The lander was described as "stable" despite concerns after a harpoon, which was meant to tether it to the surface of the 4km-wide comet, failed to deploy.

Rosetta project scientist Dr Matt Taylor said the European Space Agency was receiving a good signal and receiving science data.

"Now we are busy analysing what it all means and really trying to find out where the lander actually is on the surface," he said.

Philae touched down after a 10-year, 6.4 billion kilometre journey through space in an achievement hailed as one of the greatest in science.

Scientists hope the probe will yield insights into the origins of our Solar System.

Philae landed in a soft area on the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet and dipped around 4cm before bouncing back up when its harpoon failed to fire.

Full story: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/scientists-back-in-touch-with-comet-probe-20141113-3kald.html


-- The Age 2014-11-13

[Guest]

The whole Rosetta trip is simply incredible.

[WallyCleaver]

Live report of post landing events.

Photo of the landers feet touching surface.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/11222612/Rosetta-comet-landing-live.html

[doctorproc156]

If his is successful how long before the next step landing a maned space craft on a comet

Bravo for sure

Quite a long time, I'm sure. It took Rosetta 10 years to chase and match speed with the comet. We have nothing like the technology to keep humans alive in space for anything like that length of time. Not to mention that Rosetta doesn't have to make a return journey.

Unmanned craft are incredibly productive and cost-effective for exploring the solar system. imho, we should be deploying more of them and worrying less about humans in space. We've been pursuing that for half-a-century, have spent incredible amounts of money on it, and are still limited (except briefly in the late 60s) to low Earth orbit.

I agree, drones, robotics and cameras are extremely advanced now, we really don't need Humans to explore space. I think we should focus on mining resources in space autonomously for now, because once that becomes profitable, space exploration will explode.

[Guest]

The micro gravity is very interesting to think. Everything seems to slow down. While landing, Rosetta bounced off from the comet. The first bounce was almost 2 hours and resulted that the probe ended up 1km away from the landing site. This is on 4km comet.

I wonder how high was the bounce. Was it 1 meter or 10 cm at that very low gravity? Was this due one of the hooks did not fire and therefore the probe hit the comet too fast?

A person who sneeze downwards, would probably fly off the comet, simply because the gravity is too weak to keep the person on the ground.

[WallyCleaver]

Light as a feather. Gravity 10,000 to 1. A baby could easily lift a fully loaded semi truck up there.

Now it is turned on it's side, sitting in a shadow under a cliff they say. The batteries will run down because of the limited sun exposure to the solar panels.

They may use some of the mechanical instruments to get it to float back up into a better position.

"Without anything to tether it to the comet’s surface, the probe bounced 1km into the air before where it floated for around two hours before making its way back to the surface."

[Mosha]

The micro gravity is very interesting to think. Everything seems to slow down. While landing, Rosetta bounced off from the comet. The first bounce was almost 2 hours and resulted that the probe ended up 1km away from the landing site. This is on 4km comet.

I wonder how high was the bounce. Was it 1 meter or 10 cm at that very low gravity? Was this due one of the hooks did not fire and therefore the probe hit the comet too fast?

A person who sneeze downwards, would probably fly off the comet, simply because the gravity is too weak to keep the person on the ground.

Initial decent was at walking pace

[zydeco]

Light as a feather. Gravity 10,000 to 1. A baby could easily lift a fully loaded semi truck up there.

Now it is turned on it's side, sitting in a shadow under a cliff they say. The batteries will run down because of the limited sun exposure to the solar panels.

They may use some of the mechanical instruments to get it to float back up into a better position.

"Without anything to tether it to the comet’s surface, the probe bounced 1km into the air before where it floated for around two hours before making its way back to the surface."

Am I reading this right? Did their tethering device, the so-called explosive hooks malfunction or did they end up turning it into a giant pogo stick?

[Mosha]

From BBC it sounds like they are considering moving it.

[WallyCleaver]

From BBC it sounds like they are considering moving it.

If they can't get the machine into the sun, the batteries will run out in days.

They have to choose. Get as much science in now, as it sits or use the batteries to run some devices that might bounce it into a better position.

[zydeco]

From BBC it sounds like they are considering moving it.

If they can't get the machine into the sun, the batteries will run out in days.

They have to choose. Get as much science in now, as it sits or use the batteries to run some devices that might bounce it into a better position.

If it's on its side, hidden in shadow, on a cliff, they had better take whatever they can get and then try a last minute repositioning, because that sounds like a desperation shot from the backcourt to me. Who ever designed those "hooks" flubbed it, and a good portion of this mission seems ruined. Pity. Hope they can salvage it in some way.

[doctorproc156]

Light as a feather. Gravity 10,000 to 1. A baby could easily lift a fully loaded semi truck up there.

Now it is turned on it's side, sitting in a shadow under a cliff they say. The batteries will run down because of the limited sun exposure to the solar panels.

They may use some of the mechanical instruments to get it to float back up into a better position.

"Without anything to tether it to the comet’s surface, the probe bounced 1km into the air before where it floated for around two hours before making its way back to the surface."

Am I reading this right? Did their tethering device, the so-called explosive hooks malfunction or did they end up turning it into a giant pogo stick?

It failed, it turned into a pogo stick. There isn't enough energy to drill right now either.

[WallyCleaver]

If his is successful how long before the next step landing a maned space craft on a comet

Bravo for sure

Quite a long time, I'm sure. It took Rosetta 10 years to chase and match speed with the comet. We have nothing like the technology to keep humans alive in space for anything like that length of time. Not to mention that Rosetta doesn't have to make a return journey.

Unmanned craft are incredibly productive and cost-effective for exploring the solar system. imho, we should be deploying more of them and worrying less about humans in space. We've been pursuing that for half-a-century, have spent incredible amounts of money on it, and are still limited (except briefly in the late 60s) to low Earth orbit.

NASA has a plan to park a comet near earth I read somewhere.

Carl Sagan says they will be bringing these into earth orbit for mining and perhaps converting them into habitable environments. Earthlings may use these habitats to go explore the Milky Way.

[Mosha]

From BBC it sounds like they are considering moving it.

If they can't get the machine into the sun, the batteries will run out in days.

They have to choose. Get as much science in now, as it sits or use the batteries to run some devices that might bounce it into a better position.

If it's on its side, hidden in shadow, on a cliff, they had better take whatever they can get and then try a last minute repositioning, because that sounds like a desperation shot from the backcourt to me. Who ever designed those "hooks" flubbed it, and a good portion of this mission seems ruined. Pity. Hope they can salvage it in some way.

A bit harsh given at the time of the launch little was known of it's make up. Was this comet even the original target?

[zydeco]

From BBC it sounds like they are considering moving it.

If they can't get the machine into the sun, the batteries will run out in days.

They have to choose. Get as much science in now, as it sits or use the batteries to run some devices that might bounce it into a better position.

If it's on its side, hidden in shadow, on a cliff, they had better take whatever they can get and then try a last minute repositioning, because that sounds like a desperation shot from the backcourt to me. Who ever designed those "hooks" flubbed it, and a good portion of this mission seems ruined. Pity. Hope they can salvage it in some way.

A bit harsh given at the time of the launch little was known of it's make up. Was this comet even the original target?

It's not a matter of being harsh but of being disappointed.

[maidee]

and next we will hear in a few years, because of this intervention and change of trajectory, the comet is now headed for planet ... EARTH ...

[WallyCleaver]

The Rosetta Comet in scale with the City of Los Angeles, Planet Earth.

That would hurt if it hit at 45,000MPH. Ouch!