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