Well done Europe! First craft to ever be landed ON a comet.

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 4:02 am

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/hi ... ay-n246671

The European Space Agency's Philae lander made an unprecedented touchdown on the surface of a comet Wednesday — marking the high point of a $1.3 billion, 10-year mission.

Cheers erupted as the confirming signals were received at the European Space Operations Center in Darmstadt, Germany, at 11:03 a.m. ET. The signals took 28 minutes to travel at the speed of light over the 317 million miles (510 million kilometers) between Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and Earth.

"It is sitting on the surface," reported Stefan Ulamec, Philae lander manager at the DLR German Aerospace Center. "Philae is talking to us — we are on the comet!"

NokTang · Post by **NokTang** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 5:54 pm

On other news stories, I read "6 billion kilometers" as the length of the trip. Above says again what I've also read, 317 miles away. Does anyone know how far it is and/or why the differences in this reporting? I assume it took a fairly straight line flight to the comet after a couple loops around earth and mars to gain speed? All very interesting and historic, however it still just looks like a big rock in space to me. (I should note, I'm a believer in creation by god, not evolution from comets striking the earth)