Philae's extraordinary comet landing relived (2024)
14 hours ago
- #comet landing
- #space exploration
- #ESA mission
- On 12 November 2014, Philae made history by landing on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after a ten-year journey.
- Philae's active descent system failed, relying on harpoons and ice screws, but it completed an accurate touchdown at site Agilkia.
- The harpoons didn't fire, causing Philae to bounce four times, collecting unique science data at multiple locations during flight.
- Instruments measured surface texture, hardness, temperature cycles, organic compounds, and magnetic properties, with 80% of planned science completed in 64 hours.
- Philae's final site, Abydos, was imaged, and its legacy inspires future ESA missions like Comet Interceptor, Hera, Ramses, and M-Argo.