ESA successfully lands spacecraft on comet

Nature : Yesterday, the European Space Agency’s Philae lander separated from the Rosetta spacecraft and successfully landed on comet P67/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. This is the first time that any spacecraft has landed on a comet. There were some bumps, literally: The lander’s harpoon system misfire resulted in Philae’s bouncing twice before finally settling into position. The lander maintained power and established contact with the Rosetta orbiter. The final position appears to be partially in a shadow, which reduces the amount of light available for the lander’s solar panels. However, the first science mission is planned to run entirely off of the craft’s batteries for the next two days. The lander is already taking pictures and beginning to run other tests, including drilling into the comet’s surface. After the initial science mission is complete, Philae will enter hibernation. As the comet approaches the sun, if the lander receives enough sunlight, it will recharge the batteries for further observations.