Philae Lander Early Science Results: Ice, Organic Molecules and Half a Foot of Dust

(Before It's News)

Philae’s MUPUS probe took temperature measurements and hammered into the surface at the landing site to discover  a layer of very hard water ice. Credit: ESA

An uncontrolled, chaotic landing.  Stuck in the shadow of a cliff without energy-giving sunlight.  Philae and team persevered.  With just 60 hours of battery power, the lander drilled, hammered and gathered science data on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko before going into hibernation. Here’s what we know. (…)
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© Bob King for Universe Today, 2014. |
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Post tags: 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, comet, CONSERT, COSAC, ice, lander, MUPUS, philae, rosetta, SD2, SESAME

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