Live coverage: Rosetta comet landing
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Yep. They've confirmed Philae's landing.
Probe makes historic comet landing
12 November 2014
BBC News
European robot probe Philae has made the first, historic landing on a comet, after descending from its mothership.
The lander touched down on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at about 1605 GMT.
There were cheers and hugs at the control room in Darmstadt, Germany, after the signal was confirmed.
It was designed to shine a light on some of the mysteries of these icy relics from the formation of the Solar System.
"This is a big step for human civilisation," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, the director-general of the European Space Agency (Esa).
Shortly after the touchdown was confirmed, Stephan Ulamec, the mission's lander chief, said: "Philae is talking to us... we are on the comet."
The robot deployed harpoons to fasten itself to the 2.5-mile-wide ball of ice and dust.
Scientists will use Philae to take pictures of the comet's landscape and to analyse its chemical composition.
They are hoping its surface materials will hold fresh insights into the origins of our Solar System more than 4.5 billion years ago.
BBC News - Probe makes historic comet landing
***********************
BREAKING NEWS: European scientists make space history by successfully landing probe on a comet after 10-year mission and celebrate by tweeting: 'Touchdown! My new address is 67P!'
At 08.35 GMT today, mission control in Darmstadt, Germany sent a command to release the Philae probe from Rosetta's grip. This picture shows the boulder-strewn neck region of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It was captured around 4.8 miles (7.7km) from the surface of the comet
The British scientist taking Twitter by storm - because he's so confident Rosetta will be a success that he's had the landing TATTOOED on his leg
Dr Taylor is the Rosetta Project Scientist at the European Space Agency
He trended on Twitter after a TV appearance this morning, where he wore a colourful shirt and shorts, which showed off his array of tattoos
One tattoo shows the Philae lander touching down on the comet - although the success of the Rosetta mission is currently hanging in the balance
He is so confident of the mission's success he got inked in January
Philae has been released but has a damaged thruster, meaning it will have to rely solely on harpoons to attach to the surface of the comet
By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline
12 November 2014
Daily Mail
Watch BBC video of Dr Matt Taylor showing off his funky shirt and Rosetta tattoo: BBC News Rosetta scientist Matt Taylor tattooed landing on thigh - YouTube
Experts may be concerned that a faulty thruster on the Philae lander could potentially scupper the Rosetta mission, but its lead scientist is so confident of success that he already has the triumphant moment of landing tattooed on his leg.
British scientist Dr Matt Taylor is one of the most important people involved in the European Space Agency's mission to land on a comet for the first time and has become a Twitter sensation.
The Rosetta Project Scientist has caused a stir on the social network because of his unorthodox appearance, involving bright shirts and an array of body art - including a tattoo on his leg of the space probe landing on the comet, which he got in January.
Dr Matt Taylor, Rosetta Project Scientist, has caused a stir on Twitter because of his unorthodox appearance, involving bright shirts and an array of body art (pictured)
Dr Taylor, from north east London, is so positive that the mission to land on the comet will be successful that he has already had the moment permanently etched on his body.
He told BBC Breakfast: ‘I'm incredibly confident that we're going to nail this landing. I'm confident enough to have it drawn on my body.’
As he showed off the design on his right thigh, Dr Taylor said: ‘That's my prediction for later today, that we get the lander on the comet.’
Dr Matt Taylor shows his dedication to Rosetta mission with tattoo - YouTube
The scientist is so positive that the mission to land on the comet will be successful that he has already had the moment permanently etched on his body (pictured)
Earlier this morning, Esa's Rosetta probe released its Philae lander to attempt the first ever landing of a spacecraft on the surface of a comet.
The separation was confirmed at 9.03am GMT, with pictures of Philae approaching the comet expected throughout the day before it lands on the surface at 3.30pm GMT.
But the success of the mission now hangs in the balance after a thruster on Philae was found to be faulty.
Mission controllers say there is a 50 per cent chance the cold thruster positioned on top of the lander will work, and without it, Philae will have to rely solely on harpoons to attach to the surface of the comet. The cold thruster was designed to push Philae closer to the comet.
Dr Taylor, the son of a brick layer, was reportedly told to cover his tattoos at media events in the past, but his appearance seems only to have increased his popularity.
Twitter users praised Dr Taylor for being ‘a proper cool scientist’ and ‘definitely not boring’ after he appeared on the European Space Agency live stream and BBC Breakfast wearing a multi-coloured shirt emblazoned with illustrations of glamorous women, which he teamed with shorts, which showed off his tattoos.
To convince his new team of his dedication, Dr Taylor promised that if Rosetta woke up from its hibernation, he would get a tattoo to commemorate the event. This video shows the creation of the tattoo
Esa has successfully made contact with the Philae lander after it separated from the Rosetta spacecraft this morning at 08.35am GMT. It is now heading towards the comet and is expected to attempt to land on the surface at 4pm GMT. Pictured right is Paolo Ferri, Head of Mission Operations, celebrating making contact
One Twitter user wrote: 'Dr Matt Taylor is what every scientist should look like - rad shirt, sleeve tattoos. Rad,' while another said: ‘Matt Taylor causing thousands of people to choke on their cornflakes this morning.’
Dr Taylor studied at the University of Liverpool and Imperial College London, winning a PhD in space plasma physics
He has worked at the European Space Agency since 2005 and was given the top scientific job on the mission in the summer of 2013.
The role was a real change from his previous job, which was studying the physics of the northern lights, The Guardian reported.
Professor Mark McCaughrean, senior science advisor at ESA, who appointed Dr Taylor, said that he took a chance on the young scientist as he would have to come up to speed with the mission quickly and gain the trust of older experts who had been working at ESA for decades.
To convince them of his dedication, Dr Taylor promised that if Rosetta woke up from its hibernation, he would get a tattoo to commemorate the event.
In January this happened, and a school friend turned tattoo artist etched a reminder of the ambitious mission on his leg.
In his profile on the Rosetta project website, Dr Taylor says: ‘The opportunity to work on Rosetta was huge and I cannot begin to describe the excitement associated with this mission. It really is just so cool.’
Rosetta has chased comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko through space for more than ten years in what has been described as 'the sexiest, most fantastic mission ever'. After a four billion mile (6.5 billion km) journey, it is now positioned in an orbit 19 miles (30 km) away from 67P
Read more: The British scientist taking Twitter by storm - because he's so confident Rosetta will be a success that he's had the landing TATTOOED on his leg | Daily Mail Online
Probe makes historic comet landing
12 November 2014
BBC News
European robot probe Philae has made the first, historic landing on a comet, after descending from its mothership.
The lander touched down on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at about 1605 GMT.
There were cheers and hugs at the control room in Darmstadt, Germany, after the signal was confirmed.
It was designed to shine a light on some of the mysteries of these icy relics from the formation of the Solar System.
"This is a big step for human civilisation," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, the director-general of the European Space Agency (Esa).
Shortly after the touchdown was confirmed, Stephan Ulamec, the mission's lander chief, said: "Philae is talking to us... we are on the comet."
The robot deployed harpoons to fasten itself to the 2.5-mile-wide ball of ice and dust.
Scientists will use Philae to take pictures of the comet's landscape and to analyse its chemical composition.
They are hoping its surface materials will hold fresh insights into the origins of our Solar System more than 4.5 billion years ago.
BBC News - Probe makes historic comet landing
***********************
BREAKING NEWS: European scientists make space history by successfully landing probe on a comet after 10-year mission and celebrate by tweeting: 'Touchdown! My new address is 67P!'
At 08.35 GMT today, mission control in Darmstadt, Germany sent a command to release the Philae probe from Rosetta's grip. This picture shows the boulder-strewn neck region of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It was captured around 4.8 miles (7.7km) from the surface of the comet
The team in Darmstadt, Germany are pictured here celebrating as news of Philae's separation from Rosetta was received earlier this morning
Rosetta's probe, Philae, has successfully landed on its comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
After a daring seven-hour descent, the probe made space history by becoming the first ever craft to land on a comet.
In an emotional speech, Esa director general Jean-Jacques Dordain said: 'It's a big step for human civilisation.'
The confirmation of the landing was relayed via Rosetta to Earth and picked up simultaneously by a ground station in Malargüe, Argentina and Madrid, Spain, before being confirmed in Darmstadt.
'Esa and its Rosetta mission partners achieved something extraordinary today,' said Dordain.
'Our ambitious Rosetta mission has secured another place in the history books: not only is it the first to rendezvous with and orbit a comet, but it is now also the first to deliver a probe to a comet's surface.'
'After more than 10 years travelling through space, we're now making the best ever scientific analysis of one of the oldest remnants of our solar system,' added Alvaro Giménez, Esa's director of Science and Robotic Exploration.
'Decades of preparation have paved the way for today's success, ensuring that Rosetta continues to be a game-changer in cometary science and space exploration.'
Rosetta has chased comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko through space for more than ten years in what has been described as 'the sexiest, most fantastic mission ever'.
After a four billion mile (6.5 billion km) journey, the probe this morning released successfully released Philae from its grip to land on the comet.
'We are extremely relieved to be safely on the surface of the comet, especially given the extra challenge of the comet's unusual shape and unexpectedly hazardous surface,' says Stephan Ulamec, Philae Lander Manager at the DLR German Aerospace Center.
'In the next hours we'll learn exactly where and how we've landed, and we'll start getting as much science as we can from the surface of this fascinating world.'
Engineers were involved in a tense wait to find out whether the lander successfully grabbed onto the comet at 3.30pm GMT.
Ahead of the landing, Rosetta was able to capture several other images of Philae during its daring mission using its Osiris camera.
One stunning shot shows the lander's antennae deployed, along with all three lander feet and the Rolis descent camera boom.
Immediately after the image was released Philae tweeted 'It's me…landing on a comet and feeling good!'
The separation of Philae from Rosetta was confirmed at 9.03am GMT today, and just after 11am GMT mission control in Darmstadt, Germany received a signal confirming the lander was working.
Throughout the day, the lander has been transmitting data and images back to Earth. 'Everything looks really, really good,' said Philae lander manager Stephan Ulamec.
Space adventure: The probe will analyse various components of the comet's surface
Read more: Rosetta's Philae probe successfully lands on comet | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
*****************************************************
Rosetta's probe, Philae, has successfully landed on its comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
After a daring seven-hour descent, the probe made space history by becoming the first ever craft to land on a comet.
In an emotional speech, Esa director general Jean-Jacques Dordain said: 'It's a big step for human civilisation.'
The confirmation of the landing was relayed via Rosetta to Earth and picked up simultaneously by a ground station in Malargüe, Argentina and Madrid, Spain, before being confirmed in Darmstadt.
'Esa and its Rosetta mission partners achieved something extraordinary today,' said Dordain.
'Our ambitious Rosetta mission has secured another place in the history books: not only is it the first to rendezvous with and orbit a comet, but it is now also the first to deliver a probe to a comet's surface.'
'After more than 10 years travelling through space, we're now making the best ever scientific analysis of one of the oldest remnants of our solar system,' added Alvaro Giménez, Esa's director of Science and Robotic Exploration.
'Decades of preparation have paved the way for today's success, ensuring that Rosetta continues to be a game-changer in cometary science and space exploration.'
Rosetta has chased comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko through space for more than ten years in what has been described as 'the sexiest, most fantastic mission ever'.
After a four billion mile (6.5 billion km) journey, the probe this morning released successfully released Philae from its grip to land on the comet.
'We are extremely relieved to be safely on the surface of the comet, especially given the extra challenge of the comet's unusual shape and unexpectedly hazardous surface,' says Stephan Ulamec, Philae Lander Manager at the DLR German Aerospace Center.
'In the next hours we'll learn exactly where and how we've landed, and we'll start getting as much science as we can from the surface of this fascinating world.'
Engineers were involved in a tense wait to find out whether the lander successfully grabbed onto the comet at 3.30pm GMT.
Ahead of the landing, Rosetta was able to capture several other images of Philae during its daring mission using its Osiris camera.
One stunning shot shows the lander's antennae deployed, along with all three lander feet and the Rolis descent camera boom.
Immediately after the image was released Philae tweeted 'It's me…landing on a comet and feeling good!'
The separation of Philae from Rosetta was confirmed at 9.03am GMT today, and just after 11am GMT mission control in Darmstadt, Germany received a signal confirming the lander was working.
Throughout the day, the lander has been transmitting data and images back to Earth. 'Everything looks really, really good,' said Philae lander manager Stephan Ulamec.
Read more: Rosetta's Philae probe successfully lands on comet | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
*****************************************************
The British scientist taking Twitter by storm - because he's so confident Rosetta will be a success that he's had the landing TATTOOED on his leg
Dr Taylor is the Rosetta Project Scientist at the European Space Agency
He trended on Twitter after a TV appearance this morning, where he wore a colourful shirt and shorts, which showed off his array of tattoos
One tattoo shows the Philae lander touching down on the comet - although the success of the Rosetta mission is currently hanging in the balance
He is so confident of the mission's success he got inked in January
Philae has been released but has a damaged thruster, meaning it will have to rely solely on harpoons to attach to the surface of the comet
By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline
12 November 2014
Daily Mail
Watch BBC video of Dr Matt Taylor showing off his funky shirt and Rosetta tattoo: BBC News Rosetta scientist Matt Taylor tattooed landing on thigh - YouTube
Experts may be concerned that a faulty thruster on the Philae lander could potentially scupper the Rosetta mission, but its lead scientist is so confident of success that he already has the triumphant moment of landing tattooed on his leg.
British scientist Dr Matt Taylor is one of the most important people involved in the European Space Agency's mission to land on a comet for the first time and has become a Twitter sensation.
The Rosetta Project Scientist has caused a stir on the social network because of his unorthodox appearance, involving bright shirts and an array of body art - including a tattoo on his leg of the space probe landing on the comet, which he got in January.
Dr Matt Taylor, Rosetta Project Scientist, has caused a stir on Twitter because of his unorthodox appearance, involving bright shirts and an array of body art (pictured)
Dr Taylor, from north east London, is so positive that the mission to land on the comet will be successful that he has already had the moment permanently etched on his body.
He told BBC Breakfast: ‘I'm incredibly confident that we're going to nail this landing. I'm confident enough to have it drawn on my body.’
As he showed off the design on his right thigh, Dr Taylor said: ‘That's my prediction for later today, that we get the lander on the comet.’
Dr Matt Taylor shows his dedication to Rosetta mission with tattoo - YouTube
The scientist is so positive that the mission to land on the comet will be successful that he has already had the moment permanently etched on his body (pictured)
Earlier this morning, Esa's Rosetta probe released its Philae lander to attempt the first ever landing of a spacecraft on the surface of a comet.
The separation was confirmed at 9.03am GMT, with pictures of Philae approaching the comet expected throughout the day before it lands on the surface at 3.30pm GMT.
But the success of the mission now hangs in the balance after a thruster on Philae was found to be faulty.
Mission controllers say there is a 50 per cent chance the cold thruster positioned on top of the lander will work, and without it, Philae will have to rely solely on harpoons to attach to the surface of the comet. The cold thruster was designed to push Philae closer to the comet.
Dr Taylor, the son of a brick layer, was reportedly told to cover his tattoos at media events in the past, but his appearance seems only to have increased his popularity.
Twitter users praised Dr Taylor for being ‘a proper cool scientist’ and ‘definitely not boring’ after he appeared on the European Space Agency live stream and BBC Breakfast wearing a multi-coloured shirt emblazoned with illustrations of glamorous women, which he teamed with shorts, which showed off his tattoos.
To convince his new team of his dedication, Dr Taylor promised that if Rosetta woke up from its hibernation, he would get a tattoo to commemorate the event. This video shows the creation of the tattoo
Esa has successfully made contact with the Philae lander after it separated from the Rosetta spacecraft this morning at 08.35am GMT. It is now heading towards the comet and is expected to attempt to land on the surface at 4pm GMT. Pictured right is Paolo Ferri, Head of Mission Operations, celebrating making contact
One Twitter user wrote: 'Dr Matt Taylor is what every scientist should look like - rad shirt, sleeve tattoos. Rad,' while another said: ‘Matt Taylor causing thousands of people to choke on their cornflakes this morning.’
Dr Taylor studied at the University of Liverpool and Imperial College London, winning a PhD in space plasma physics
He has worked at the European Space Agency since 2005 and was given the top scientific job on the mission in the summer of 2013.
The role was a real change from his previous job, which was studying the physics of the northern lights, The Guardian reported.
Professor Mark McCaughrean, senior science advisor at ESA, who appointed Dr Taylor, said that he took a chance on the young scientist as he would have to come up to speed with the mission quickly and gain the trust of older experts who had been working at ESA for decades.
To convince them of his dedication, Dr Taylor promised that if Rosetta woke up from its hibernation, he would get a tattoo to commemorate the event.
In January this happened, and a school friend turned tattoo artist etched a reminder of the ambitious mission on his leg.
In his profile on the Rosetta project website, Dr Taylor says: ‘The opportunity to work on Rosetta was huge and I cannot begin to describe the excitement associated with this mission. It really is just so cool.’
Rosetta has chased comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko through space for more than ten years in what has been described as 'the sexiest, most fantastic mission ever'. After a four billion mile (6.5 billion km) journey, it is now positioned in an orbit 19 miles (30 km) away from 67P
Read more: The British scientist taking Twitter by storm - because he's so confident Rosetta will be a success that he's had the landing TATTOOED on his leg | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Bloody Lefties. Here we are celebrating one of the greatest achievements of mankind, a historic occasion for Man, and here are a bunch of loony Lefties more interested in the shirt that the lead scientist is wearing than the fact a spaceprobe has landed on a comet. These people really need to get a life and some sense of perspective.
By the way, Mr Taylor's shirt is cool, and it's proving a hit on Twitter.
By the way, Mr Taylor's shirt is cool, and it's proving a hit on Twitter.
Interesting that the article and you call them leftist when it's usually conservative righties who get in a huff over not dressing appropriately.
But I will agree.... Whatever their background, they're focusing on the wrong things right now. Guess people have to always find something to complain about.
besides, that's probably as close as he ever got to a woman anyways. Give the guy a break.
It tuns out that the Philae lander didn't have a smooth landing.
It is thought that it bounced when it hit the surface of the comet and may have done so about three times.
However, Esa scientists have said that Rosetta has now re-established contact with Philae (Rosetta, which is still orbiting the comet, lost contact with the lander when it went around the far side of the comet) and have said that Philae is now stable.
But there is still concern about the longer-term stability of Philae because it is not properly anchored - the harpoons that should have hooked it into the surface did not fire on contact. Neither did its feet screws get any purchase.
Nobody was exactly sure what the surface would be like that Philae would land on, and it could well be the case that the screws may have to be screwed deeper into the surface than initially thought to anchor Philae firmly to the surface. Scientists are hoping to get Philae firmly anchored before they undertake the drilling that will examine the comet's material, as otherwise the drilling action could propel Philae back off the surface.
The Royal Mail is commemorating the landing with a special postmark, which will be applied to all mail delivered across the UK from Friday to Saturday.
For those wondering just where the comet 67P, Philae and Rosetta are right now, they are in the approximate direction of the Sun from our point of view. They are almost, not quite, but almost on the other side of the Sun from us, and are just to the right of the Sun from our viewpoint.
Rosetta: Comet lander Philae now stable - scientists
By Jonathan Amos, Science correspondent, BBC News
13 November 2014
The first photo ever taken from the surface of a comet
The robot probe Philae that made a historic comet landing is now stable after initially failing to attach to the surface, and is sending pictures.
Efforts are now being made to locate the precise position of the European Space Agency probe on the comet.
Engineers say it may have bounced hundreds of yards back off the surface after first touching down.
Scientists hope the probe will analyse the comet's surface to yield insights into the origins of our Solar System.
The first pictures indicate that the lander is sitting at an angle - perhaps on a slope, or maybe even on its side. But the team is continuing to receive "great data" from Philae.
Esa's Rosetta satellite carried Philae on a 4bn-mile journey to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Signals from the landing are still being analysed - but this is the team's current best guess at how events unfolded
The robot probe, the size of a washing machine, was dropped from the satellite on Wednesday and spent seven hours travelling down to the icy body.
News of the "first" landing was confirmed at about 16:05 GMT.
Ebullient mood
Controllers re-established radio communication with the probe on cue on Thursday after a scheduled break, and are retrieving pictures from it.
These show the feet of the lander and the wider cometscape.
But there is still concern about the longer-term stability of Philae because it is not properly anchored - the harpoons that should have hooked it into the surface did not fire on contact. Neither did its feet screws get any purchase.
One of the cameras on Philae sent this image of the comet during the descent
Lander project manager Stephan Ulamec told the BBC that he was very wary of now commanding the harpoons to fire, as this could throw Philae back off into space.
He also has worries about drilling into the comet because this too could affect the stability of the lander.
"We are still not anchored," he said. "We are sitting with the weight of the lander somehow on the comet. We are pretty sure where we landed the first time, and then we made quite a leap. Some people say it is in the order of 1 km high.
"And then we had another small leap, and now we are sitting there, and transmitting, and everything else is something we have to start understanding and keep interpreting."
The mood at Esa's operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany, this morning is very ebullient following the historic touchdown.
When it became clear just after landing that the contact was not clean, there was considerable worry. That has changed noticeably.
The Royal Mail is commemorating the landing with a special postmark, which will be applied to all mail delivered across the UK from Friday to Saturday
Holger Sierks, the principal investigator of the science cameras on Philae's mothership, Rosetta, which is circling the comet overhead, said his team was now trying to take pictures of the robot on the surface.
These pictures will show very little detail because Rosetta is many tens of kilometres away, but they will help controllers understand where the probe came to rest after its bouncing.
If the probe remains stable, it will engage in several months of science experiments on 67P.
It will take pictures of the cometscape and analyse the surface chemical composition to test several hypotheses about the origins of life and the universe.
One theory holds that comets were responsible for delivering water to the planets. Another idea is that they could have "seeded" the Earth with the chemistry needed to help kick-start life.
David Shukman, BBC science editor
Touching down on a comet is mind-blowing in itself, but try picturing how the tiny Philae lander has then bounced around its new home.
From what we know, the lander rose hundreds of metres above the surface at one stage and remained in flight for nearly two hours.
One might say it was airborne, except that the comet has no air.
In any event, it may have risen vertically or drifted sideways - we should hear later. Either way, while Philae was off the surface, the comet will have rotated beneath it. Each rotation takes about 12 hours which means the lander may effectively travelled across one-sixth of the comet's surface.
By the time it came down again, the original landing zone - chosen for its relative safety and ideal amount of sunshine - was left far behind. The lander is now in different, undetermined area that may prove far more hazardous.
The first picture is confusing, but suggests Philae is sitting at an angle. Everyone here is hungry for more news.
Mission facts:
Philae lander
Travelled four billion miles to reach the comet
Journey took 10 years
Planning for the journey began 25 years ago
Comet 67P
More than four billion years old
Mass of 10 billion tonnes
Hurtling through space at 40,000mph
Shaped like a rubber duck
BBC News - Rosetta: Comet lander Philae now stable - scientists
Whingeing Lefties always find something to complain about.
Why are you attacking this guy? What have you got against him? Is this a case case of Left-wing intellectual envy which is prevalent nowadays?
This guy really seems to have upset the Left, big time. The Left don't like success. Never have done.
It is thought that it bounced when it hit the surface of the comet and may have done so about three times.
However, Esa scientists have said that Rosetta has now re-established contact with Philae (Rosetta, which is still orbiting the comet, lost contact with the lander when it went around the far side of the comet) and have said that Philae is now stable.
But there is still concern about the longer-term stability of Philae because it is not properly anchored - the harpoons that should have hooked it into the surface did not fire on contact. Neither did its feet screws get any purchase.
Nobody was exactly sure what the surface would be like that Philae would land on, and it could well be the case that the screws may have to be screwed deeper into the surface than initially thought to anchor Philae firmly to the surface. Scientists are hoping to get Philae firmly anchored before they undertake the drilling that will examine the comet's material, as otherwise the drilling action could propel Philae back off the surface.
The Royal Mail is commemorating the landing with a special postmark, which will be applied to all mail delivered across the UK from Friday to Saturday.
For those wondering just where the comet 67P, Philae and Rosetta are right now, they are in the approximate direction of the Sun from our point of view. They are almost, not quite, but almost on the other side of the Sun from us, and are just to the right of the Sun from our viewpoint.
Rosetta: Comet lander Philae now stable - scientists
By Jonathan Amos, Science correspondent, BBC News
13 November 2014
The first photo ever taken from the surface of a comet
The robot probe Philae that made a historic comet landing is now stable after initially failing to attach to the surface, and is sending pictures.
Efforts are now being made to locate the precise position of the European Space Agency probe on the comet.
Engineers say it may have bounced hundreds of yards back off the surface after first touching down.
Scientists hope the probe will analyse the comet's surface to yield insights into the origins of our Solar System.
The first pictures indicate that the lander is sitting at an angle - perhaps on a slope, or maybe even on its side. But the team is continuing to receive "great data" from Philae.
Esa's Rosetta satellite carried Philae on a 4bn-mile journey to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Signals from the landing are still being analysed - but this is the team's current best guess at how events unfolded
The robot probe, the size of a washing machine, was dropped from the satellite on Wednesday and spent seven hours travelling down to the icy body.
News of the "first" landing was confirmed at about 16:05 GMT.
Ebullient mood
Controllers re-established radio communication with the probe on cue on Thursday after a scheduled break, and are retrieving pictures from it.
These show the feet of the lander and the wider cometscape.
But there is still concern about the longer-term stability of Philae because it is not properly anchored - the harpoons that should have hooked it into the surface did not fire on contact. Neither did its feet screws get any purchase.
One of the cameras on Philae sent this image of the comet during the descent
Lander project manager Stephan Ulamec told the BBC that he was very wary of now commanding the harpoons to fire, as this could throw Philae back off into space.
He also has worries about drilling into the comet because this too could affect the stability of the lander.
"We are still not anchored," he said. "We are sitting with the weight of the lander somehow on the comet. We are pretty sure where we landed the first time, and then we made quite a leap. Some people say it is in the order of 1 km high.
"And then we had another small leap, and now we are sitting there, and transmitting, and everything else is something we have to start understanding and keep interpreting."
The mood at Esa's operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany, this morning is very ebullient following the historic touchdown.
When it became clear just after landing that the contact was not clean, there was considerable worry. That has changed noticeably.
The Royal Mail is commemorating the landing with a special postmark, which will be applied to all mail delivered across the UK from Friday to Saturday
Holger Sierks, the principal investigator of the science cameras on Philae's mothership, Rosetta, which is circling the comet overhead, said his team was now trying to take pictures of the robot on the surface.
These pictures will show very little detail because Rosetta is many tens of kilometres away, but they will help controllers understand where the probe came to rest after its bouncing.
If the probe remains stable, it will engage in several months of science experiments on 67P.
It will take pictures of the cometscape and analyse the surface chemical composition to test several hypotheses about the origins of life and the universe.
One theory holds that comets were responsible for delivering water to the planets. Another idea is that they could have "seeded" the Earth with the chemistry needed to help kick-start life.
David Shukman, BBC science editor
Touching down on a comet is mind-blowing in itself, but try picturing how the tiny Philae lander has then bounced around its new home.
From what we know, the lander rose hundreds of metres above the surface at one stage and remained in flight for nearly two hours.
One might say it was airborne, except that the comet has no air.
In any event, it may have risen vertically or drifted sideways - we should hear later. Either way, while Philae was off the surface, the comet will have rotated beneath it. Each rotation takes about 12 hours which means the lander may effectively travelled across one-sixth of the comet's surface.
By the time it came down again, the original landing zone - chosen for its relative safety and ideal amount of sunshine - was left far behind. The lander is now in different, undetermined area that may prove far more hazardous.
The first picture is confusing, but suggests Philae is sitting at an angle. Everyone here is hungry for more news.
Mission facts:
Philae lander
Travelled four billion miles to reach the comet
Journey took 10 years
Planning for the journey began 25 years ago
Comet 67P
More than four billion years old
Mass of 10 billion tonnes
Hurtling through space at 40,000mph
Shaped like a rubber duck
BBC News - Rosetta: Comet lander Philae now stable - scientists
Whingeing Lefties always find something to complain about.
Why are you attacking this guy? What have you got against him? Is this a case case of Left-wing intellectual envy which is prevalent nowadays?
This guy really seems to have upset the Left, big time. The Left don't like success. Never have done.
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I wasn't attacking him. I said to give the guy a break.
And you say the left always finds something to complain about and yet here you are complaining.
I'm certainly not complaining. Hell even when I agreed with most of your post you still have to be a d*ck.
I'm not even sure why I bother.
And you say the left always finds something to complain about and yet here you are complaining.
I'm certainly not complaining. Hell even when I agreed with most of your post you still have to be a d*ck.
I'm not even sure why I bother.
It's the way you said "besides, that's probably as close as he ever got to a woman anyways". So you still found a bit of room to attack a person for no good reason.
Esa scientists at Mission Control in Darmstadt (which means "Intestine City") in southwest Germany are working out what to do with the Philae lander.
It is thought the lander bounced about three time after it landed on Wednesday and is now a fairly large distance away from the favoured landing site.
The lander came to a stop in the shadow of a cliff and is thought to be tilted, with one of its three legs pointing in the air. Scientists were hoping Philae would work until Monday at least but, with it being in the shadow of a cliff, its battery may not get enough sunlight for it to work beyond Saturday.
However, the team at Esa are sure they can find a solution to the problem. One solution that will be tried today is to turn the main body of the robot to show the largest of its solar panels to the Sun. The idea is that this could eke out some more life for the lander.
Another idea is for them to actually relaunch Philae and move it to a more favourable place on the comet.
The hope is that it can pull up some samples to analyse in the robot's onboard laboratories.
It is a high risk activity, however, because the torque could destabilise the delicately placed lander.
'Time for risks' with comet lander
By Jonathan Amos, Science correspondent, BBC News
14 November 2014
Scientists working on Europe's Philae comet lander say it is time to take more risks with the probe, amid fears its battery might die in hours.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is due to upload commands to tell Philae to deploy its drill.
The hope is that it can pull up some samples to analyse in the robot's onboard laboratories.
It is a high risk activity, however, because the torque could destabilise the delicately placed lander.
Last contact
Last night Philae deployed its Multi Purpose Sensor (Mupus) on the comet, pictured here on Earth before it was attached to Philae. This extendable arm is designed to measure the thermal and physical properties on the comet. It was thought using the arm may cause the lander to fall onto all three feet, but whether this has happened is not clear just yet
This image, annotated by Emily Lakdawalla from The Planetary Society, shows the precarious position the lander is currently in. At the top the view into space can be seen. One of the feet is obscured from view. The bottom left image is the direction that the Mupus instrument was deployed to take readings from the surface of the comet
Three historic landings: This graphic shows the team's current best guess at how events unfolded. The probe landed on the comet at around 3.30pm GMT on Wednesday but then bounced twice - first to a height of 0.62 miles and then to a much lower height of 65ft before coming to rest. It is currently thought to be about 0.62 miles from its intended landing site
Goodbye! This series of images shows the lander as it headed towards the comet's surface after Rosetta released it
Philae is sitting in the shadow of a cliff, and will not get enough sunlight to work beyond Saturday.
Friday night's radio contact with the orbiting Rosetta satellite will be the last that engineers have a reasonable confidence will work.
The team is still not sure where on the surface the probe came to rest after bouncing upon landing on Wednesday.
Scientists have been examining radio transmissions between the orbiter and the lander to see if they can triangulate a position.
This work has now produced a "circle of uncertainty" within which Philae almost certainly lies.
Follow-up imagery by Rosetta should now find the little craft, says Paolo Ferri, the head of mission operations at the European Space Agency.
He is still confident that engineers can find an answer to Philae's power shortage.
"We're coming to the end so we're taking more risks. But we're super happy with what we've done up until now. I can't tell you exactly how much this lander has achieved but it is close to 100%.
"What's missing is the drilling. But with time running out, we're taking risks."
Dr Ferri refuses to give up hope that some last minute solution can be found to solve the power situation: "I am sure our colleagues at the main lander control centre in Cologne will come up with creative ways to collect this energy."
One solution that will be tried on Friday is to turn the main body of the robot to show the largest of its solar panels to the Sun.
The idea is that this could eke out some more life for the lander.
One remarkable image taken by the "mothership" Rosetta shows Philae as a tiny speck, headed for history
Launched in 2004, the European Space Agency (Esa) mission hopes to learn about the origins of our Solar System.
It has already sent back the first images ever taken from the crumbling, fractured terrain of a comet.
Philae got to the icy 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on the back of Esa's Rosetta satellite after a 10-year, 4bn-mile journey, which reached its climax on Wednesday with a seven-hour drop to the surface.
BBC News - 'Time for risks' with comet lander
It is thought the lander bounced about three time after it landed on Wednesday and is now a fairly large distance away from the favoured landing site.
The lander came to a stop in the shadow of a cliff and is thought to be tilted, with one of its three legs pointing in the air. Scientists were hoping Philae would work until Monday at least but, with it being in the shadow of a cliff, its battery may not get enough sunlight for it to work beyond Saturday.
However, the team at Esa are sure they can find a solution to the problem. One solution that will be tried today is to turn the main body of the robot to show the largest of its solar panels to the Sun. The idea is that this could eke out some more life for the lander.
Another idea is for them to actually relaunch Philae and move it to a more favourable place on the comet.
Esa scientists have begun deploying its scientific instruments despite its precarious position, and have received data from temperature probes, and are planning to deploy a drill 'in very risky conditions' to collect soil samples
The hope is that it can pull up some samples to analyse in the robot's onboard laboratories.
It is a high risk activity, however, because the torque could destabilise the delicately placed lander.
'Time for risks' with comet lander
By Jonathan Amos, Science correspondent, BBC News
14 November 2014
Scientists working on Europe's Philae comet lander say it is time to take more risks with the probe, amid fears its battery might die in hours.
While its precise location is unknown, early images suggest the probe, Philae, landed with two legs on the ground and one pointing into space, which is severely limiting its access to sunlight.
Without enough light, and only 24 hours of charge left in its battery, scientists are now scrambling to get data from the probe before it dies - or find a way to recharge its solar panels and keep Philae alive.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is due to upload commands to tell Philae to deploy its drill.
The hope is that it can pull up some samples to analyse in the robot's onboard laboratories.
It is a high risk activity, however, because the torque could destabilise the delicately placed lander.
Last contact
This image, annotated by Emily Lakdawalla from The Planetary Society, shows the precarious position the lander is currently in. At the top the view into space can be seen. One of the feet is obscured from view. The bottom left image is the direction that the Mupus instrument was deployed to take readings from the surface of the comet
Goodbye! This series of images shows the lander as it headed towards the comet's surface after Rosetta released it
Philae is sitting in the shadow of a cliff, and will not get enough sunlight to work beyond Saturday.
Friday night's radio contact with the orbiting Rosetta satellite will be the last that engineers have a reasonable confidence will work.
The team is still not sure where on the surface the probe came to rest after bouncing upon landing on Wednesday.
Scientists have been examining radio transmissions between the orbiter and the lander to see if they can triangulate a position.
This work has now produced a "circle of uncertainty" within which Philae almost certainly lies.
Follow-up imagery by Rosetta should now find the little craft, says Paolo Ferri, the head of mission operations at the European Space Agency.
He is still confident that engineers can find an answer to Philae's power shortage.
"We're coming to the end so we're taking more risks. But we're super happy with what we've done up until now. I can't tell you exactly how much this lander has achieved but it is close to 100%.
"What's missing is the drilling. But with time running out, we're taking risks."
Dr Ferri refuses to give up hope that some last minute solution can be found to solve the power situation: "I am sure our colleagues at the main lander control centre in Cologne will come up with creative ways to collect this energy."
One solution that will be tried on Friday is to turn the main body of the robot to show the largest of its solar panels to the Sun.
The idea is that this could eke out some more life for the lander.
One remarkable image taken by the "mothership" Rosetta shows Philae as a tiny speck, headed for history
Launched in 2004, the European Space Agency (Esa) mission hopes to learn about the origins of our Solar System.
It has already sent back the first images ever taken from the crumbling, fractured terrain of a comet.
Philae got to the icy 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on the back of Esa's Rosetta satellite after a 10-year, 4bn-mile journey, which reached its climax on Wednesday with a seven-hour drop to the surface.
BBC News - 'Time for risks' with comet lander
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Philae comet lander shuts down as batteries go flat after sending data
Irene Klotz, REUTERS
First posted: Saturday, November 15, 2014 03:04 PM EST | Updated: Saturday, November 15, 2014 03:13 PM EST
A pioneering robotic spacecraft shut down on Saturday after radioing results of its first and probably last batch of scientific experiments from the surface of a comet, scientists said.
Batteries aboard the European Space Agency's Philae comet lander drained, shutting down the washing machine-sized probe after an adventurous and largely unscripted 57-hour mission.
Carried aboard the orbiting Rosetta mothership, Philae floated to the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Thursday, but failed to deploy anchoring harpoons.
Upon contacting the comet's unexpectedly hard surface, it bounced back up into space twice then came to rest at a still-unknown location about 1 km (0.6 mile) from its original target.
Photos and other data relayed by Philae show it finally landed against a cliff or crater wall where there was little sunlight to recharge its batteries. Racing against the clock, scientists activated a series of automated experiments, the first to be conducted from the surface of a comet.
Before dying, Philae defied the odds and radioed its science results back to Earth for analysis.
Its last task was to reposition itself so that as the comet soars towards the sun, Philae's batteries may recharge enough for a follow-on mission.
"Perhaps when we are nearer to the sun we might have enough solar illumination to wake up the lander and re-establish communication," spacecraft operations manager Stephan Ulamec said in a statement.
Scientists are particularly interested in learning about the chemical composition of any organic molecules in samples drilled out from the comet's body.
Comets are believed to be pristine remnants from the formation of our solar system some 4.6 billion years ago. They contain rock and ice that have preserved ancient organic molecules like a time capsule and may provide insight into how the planets and life evolved.
Philae's drill descended more than 25 cm (10 inches) on Friday, penetrating the comet's surface.
Rosetta in August became the first spacecraft to put itself into orbit around a comet. It will accompany the comet as it travels towards the sun for at least another 13 months.
Philae comet lander shuts down as batteries go flat after sending data | Space |
Irene Klotz, REUTERS
First posted: Saturday, November 15, 2014 03:04 PM EST | Updated: Saturday, November 15, 2014 03:13 PM EST
A pioneering robotic spacecraft shut down on Saturday after radioing results of its first and probably last batch of scientific experiments from the surface of a comet, scientists said.
Batteries aboard the European Space Agency's Philae comet lander drained, shutting down the washing machine-sized probe after an adventurous and largely unscripted 57-hour mission.
Carried aboard the orbiting Rosetta mothership, Philae floated to the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Thursday, but failed to deploy anchoring harpoons.
Upon contacting the comet's unexpectedly hard surface, it bounced back up into space twice then came to rest at a still-unknown location about 1 km (0.6 mile) from its original target.
Photos and other data relayed by Philae show it finally landed against a cliff or crater wall where there was little sunlight to recharge its batteries. Racing against the clock, scientists activated a series of automated experiments, the first to be conducted from the surface of a comet.
Before dying, Philae defied the odds and radioed its science results back to Earth for analysis.
Its last task was to reposition itself so that as the comet soars towards the sun, Philae's batteries may recharge enough for a follow-on mission.
"Perhaps when we are nearer to the sun we might have enough solar illumination to wake up the lander and re-establish communication," spacecraft operations manager Stephan Ulamec said in a statement.
Scientists are particularly interested in learning about the chemical composition of any organic molecules in samples drilled out from the comet's body.
Comets are believed to be pristine remnants from the formation of our solar system some 4.6 billion years ago. They contain rock and ice that have preserved ancient organic molecules like a time capsule and may provide insight into how the planets and life evolved.
Philae's drill descended more than 25 cm (10 inches) on Friday, penetrating the comet's surface.
Rosetta in August became the first spacecraft to put itself into orbit around a comet. It will accompany the comet as it travels towards the sun for at least another 13 months.
Philae comet lander shuts down as batteries go flat after sending data | Space |