The first photo released on Thursday probe File inn in comet 67P / Churiumov-Gerasimenko is mysterious and dark. In the foreground we see one of the three legs of the File , which on Wednesday broke the probe Rosetta and landed clumsily on the comet, the most anticipated moment since launch the Rosetta , ten years ago, and completely unprecedented in the history of world exploration. Behind Paw, there is a rough slope, texture and composition unknown. That is all. For now, not much else is known of the site or the Future of File, which began to get some scientific information but may not have power for more than a day of activity.
It is estimated that File has ended up about a mile away from the region of Agilkia, the site programmed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the landing, which sits on top of the smaller lobe of 67P with its already known duck-shaped. When on Wednesday at 16h03 was known landing of the probe, which is about 510 million kilometers from Earth, between Mars and Jupiter, quickly jubilation shown by the directors of mission at the European Space Operations Centre of ESA, in Darmstadt, Germany, has been replaced by concern.
A failure of unknown cause, prevented the ejection of the two harpoons designed to attach to File the comet, whose tiny gravity could fail to highlight probe. And File , in fact, pointed out by starting a new journey that ended only after two hours and that was explained on Thursday. “Landed three times,” said Stephan Ulamec, one responsible for File , at a press conference ESA.
The experts told the File , seven hours after the release Rosetta and down 20 kilometers to comet hit wonderful as well, at a speed of one meter per second, in the appropriate place – a feat that generated applause on Thursday for the flight dynamics team, whose members were considered heroes.
But did not like the harpoons to grasp the impact (and perhaps the help of a cute floor) Fe- it back to the space and travel over one hour and 50 minutes in the air at a rate of 30 centimeters per second. Then it landed and took the ultimate leap yet, much smaller, flew for seven minutes to three inches per second. Finally, he fell and became the site of the aforementioned photograph.
After the first of three touchdowns, the operating systems of scientific instruments that File transports began to work as scheduled. Therefore, over the shoulders, the device that emits radio waves (to analyze the composition of the comet nucleus) was operating. And with this information, the scientists were able to have an idea of where the probe landed the third. According to Stephan Ulamec, the data indicate that the probe jumped over a large crater at the foot of Agilkia and was somewhere on the opposite side of that crater.
On Thursday morning the technicians of the ESA returned to receive signals transmitted by File , which are first received by Rosetta , which remains in orbit of the comet, and are then relayed to Earth. Overnight, the transmissions had fallen due to the comet’s rotation. In the morning, the images of the landscape that surrounds the File and the information on the formation of the nucleus of comet arrived here. At the same time, if he was understanding the true situation of the small probe mass 100 pounds.
roller coaster of emotions
One of the three legs of the File looks like it is not touching the ground and the probe should be inclined. Furthermore, hilly surrounding the probe can be overshadow its solar panels. Thus, the File only get a half hour of light per each “day” of 12 hours instead of the expected six or seven hours . This amount of light may be insufficient to power the spacecraft during the nearly three months that hoped she was active.
For now, the main batteries File give you energy for a few dozen hours. “For the next day, we are saved for the next day we get a critical situation, because we have received very little solar energy,” said Stephan Ulamec, in response to a journalist who asked when would be the ideal time to use the drills and collecting soil samples. The File would analyze the composition of the samples.
But the shortage of energy and the possibility of a mission to the comet surface finish earlier limit the degree of freedom of the responsible ESA. Moreover, as the probe is not attached to the ground by harpoons, it is feared that certain actions such as the use of drills to re-start the movement. The energy cost to own a thorough assessment of the situation File to get an idea of the risk of using harpoons, can not compensate against the importance of obtaining scientific data from instruments that work.
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