ESA ’s Rosetta spacecraft has had quite a noteworthy journey since it was launched in 2004 . After traveling throughout the solar system for a decade , Rosetta at long last met up with its prey , Comet 67P / Churyumov - Gerasimenko , in August . In the fourth dimension that has follow since thatrendezvous , Rosetta has been remark the comet and preparing to launch Philae : a 100 kilogram ( 220 lb ) robotic lander that will be the first human pawn to make a soft landing place on a comet ’s karyon . This historical event has been schedule for November 12 .
Rosetta will set up Philae early Wednesday morning . It will take a gut - turn seven hour for the lander to move around 22.5 klick to 67P / C - gigabyte and nation atAgilkia , the aim area on the head of the comet ’s nucleus . After Philae lands , it will deploy harpoons that will hold it securely to the comet ’s surface . Next , it will make observations and get orient before transmit the entropy back to the Rosetta orbiter , which will then be relayed back to Earth . It takes nearly half an hour for entropy to be receive from Rosetta , so confirmation of the lander ’s success is expected to come in around 11:00 am EST .
Philae contain a suite often instrumentsthat will taste the karyon , give a with child flock of data point about its musical composition and social organisation . The datum could reveal what role comet may have play in the mien of water on Earth , as well as any influence comet may have had on early life .
Slooh Community Observatory will be doing a alive webcast discussing Philae ’s landing start at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on November 12 . The event will be hosted by Slooh astronomer Bob Berman alongside Geoff Fox , in addition to many node , including ESA scientist from the Rosetta mission . Use # SloohRosetta on social medium to join in the conversation .
The comet is extremely wispy and will not be visible with unpaid telescopes even when it nears the sun next August . Slooh ’s lookout station in the Canary Islands will be providing material - meter footage of 67P / C - G during the webcast .
“ This is the most exciting spacecraft mission since Cassini gain Saturn a tenner ago , ” Berman said in a press release . “ Comet 67P is lead toward its encounter with the Sun next summertime , and as it does its crank will sublimate , pebbles and dust will be unloosen – some as dramatic geysers from the comet ’s aerofoil – , and now we have a spacecraft right there sending us picture and videos of the whole affair . It ’s unbelievable – and this makes the seek landing on its surface critically significant , and nail - bitingly parlous . ”
you may watch the ESA ’s program here :
