Philae is a robotic lander that was part of the Rosetta mission, which was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Here are some detailed points about Philae:
- Design and Construction: Philae was designed to perform a soft landing on the comet's surface, which has very low gravity. It was built by a consortium led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The lander was equipped with a variety of scientific instruments to analyze the comet's composition, structure, and activity.
- Mission Timeline:
- Philae was launched aboard the Rosetta spacecraft on March 2, 2004.
- After a 10-year journey through space, including several gravity assists from Earth and Mars, Rosetta entered orbit around Comet 67P on August 6, 2014.
- Philae was deployed from Rosetta on November 12, 2014, aiming for a soft landing on the comet.
- Due to an unexpected bounce after initial touchdown, Philae ended up in a less than ideal location with limited sunlight exposure for its solar panels.
- Landing and Operations:
- Upon landing, Philae transmitted data for about 60 hours before its batteries were depleted, and it entered hibernation mode as it was not in a position to receive adequate solar energy.
- Remarkably, Philae woke up on June 13, 2015, when the comet's orbit brought it closer to the sun, allowing its solar panels to generate enough power. It communicated with Earth for several brief periods.
- The last contact with Philae was on July 9, 2015, after which it went silent again due to the comet moving away from the Sun.
- Scientific Instruments:
- APXS (Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer) for determining the elemental composition of the comet's surface.
- CIVA (Comet Nucleus Infrared and Visible Analyzer) for panoramic imaging and spectral analysis.
- CONSERT (Comet Nucleus Sounding Experiment by Radiowave Transmission) to probe the comet's internal structure.
- MUPUS (Multi-Purpose Sensors for Surface and Sub-Surface Science) to measure the physical properties of the comet's surface and subsurface.
- Ptolemy and COSAC for analyzing the chemical composition of the comet's nucleus.
- Legacy: Despite its challenges, Philae provided invaluable data about the comet's composition, which helped scientists understand more about the early Solar System, the origins of water on Earth, and the nature of comets. The mission was a significant achievement in space exploration, marking the first time a spacecraft had landed on a comet.
For further information on Philae and the Rosetta mission:
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