Goodnight, Philae – Elements

Alex Payevsky
«Trinity option» №23 (167), November 18, 2014

A little more than three months ago, this writer was beginning to Wishlist the words “So, it happened.” Let us repeat once again, on a different occasion: “So, it happened».

If the August 6, 2014 after 10 years of flying for the first time in the history of space exploration man-made probe Rosetta on the left orbit around the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P), it is now November 12, 2014, part of the probe – stokilogrammovye lander Philae the size of a washing machine – first down on the surface of the comet nucleus.

This is not the first contact between the comet and the object made by human hands (remember the project Deep Impact ). Now, however, it is not copper ingot, striking the comet, and gently sat down robot with ten scientific instruments.

And then began the drama. Hard landing was called ideal. As written by Mark Bentley, one of the planetary scientists working with Philae , «The European Space Agency (ESA) is unlikely to receive the Nobel Prize for parking».

First of all, did not work harpoons and a pressing motor. As a result, the device twice bounced off the surface of a comet (the first time – nearly half a kilometer, gravity-almost zero), and then somehow stopped. Besides, he did not get a pre-selected point J, which then renamed Agiliku – on behalf of the island, where after the construction of the Aswan Dam temple complex was moved from the island of Philae.

As a result, the probe stopped at the foot of the cliff and a large of the time is in the shade. Therefore, the solar panels do not get enough energy. Without normal lighting probe could work only two and a half days, but scientists have decided not to wait as long. Research evidence comes from the very beginning – with plasma ROMAP magnetometer sensors and surface properties MUPUS. Already have pictures from the camera ROLIS, which acquires images during the descent, has six identical cameras CIVA ( Comet Nucleus Infrared and Visible Analyzer ). As a true hipster – well known “Self» Rosetta on the background of the comet’s nucleus – Philae have photographed one of his three legs.

But the work of the penetrator MUPUS was unexpected. Drilling and proved successful and unsuccessful simultaneously. Seven minutes of operation, the inclusion of the hammer mode penetrator – and it turned out that under the Philae – very hard ground, which failed to break through. That is, on the one hand, particularly soil samples not received, and on the other – were unexpected results. Comet was fluffy, covered something like cigar ashes, but very solid inside.

«Loss of data below the surface – it’s sad. Detection of very solid crust – it’s a great discovery that orbit could not be done “, – reported in the ESA.

After this seven-minute effort probe discharged and went to sleep. Command Center Philae wanted to probe “good night’s sleep.” In principle, there is a tiny chance that the approach of the comet to the Sun, he wakes up again – but not the fact that Philae can survive months of sleep. However, let’s keep our fingers crossed, and yet remember the decade of the major milestones of the mission.

According to the ESA, the probe was supposed to meet with a comet beyond the orbit of Mars and explore the remnants of the primordial matter from which the solar system formed. The mission was “to solve this riddle.” It is because the machine got its name: in honor of the famous Rosetta Stone, which allowed to solve the mystery of Egyptian hieroglyphics. The lander is named after the island of Philae on the Nile, where he found the obelisk, which also helped to read hieroglyphics.

The mission was launched over 10 years ago, in March 2004 from Kourou in French Guiana. For the first three years of the flight he made four gravity maneuver three Earth, in 2005, 2007 and 2009, and one – Mars in 2007. Visited the unit and about two asteroids. In 2008, Rosetta visited asteroid 2867 Steins (this amazing asteroid has the shape of the cut of the diamond), and in 2010 – quite a large asteroid 21 Lutetia (incidentally, the first asteroid, outdoor amateur astronomer). In the second case, managed to get a lot of very good pictures of a celestial body, and even make him a card. Then, in May 2011, the unit “lay down to sleep” and woke up only in January 2014 from an internal timer. August 6 unit went into orbit around the comet, and now continues to rotate around it – the plan Rosetta with the comet should come close to the Sun as close as possible and observe the birth of the coma and tail. The device is designed to work the end of 2015. Already received very detailed images of the entire surface of the comet – permit them reached 0.3 m per pixel.

It should be noted and excellent media support for the project. This wonderful cartoons about Rosetta and Philae , tells how the mission itself, and about the history of the study of comets, it is a short fiction film with excellent computer graphics, and regular coverage of all phase of the mission in social networks and on various websites.

And yet we refrain from estimates. In any case, the first ever landing on a comet took place. In the next issue of “TRV-Science” we will try to make a more detailed material on this phase of the mission.

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