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Comet lander: Future of Philae probe 'uncertain' | |
(13 minutes later) | |
The Philae lander is drilling into the surface of comet 67/P, amid fears that its battery may die in hours. | The Philae lander is drilling into the surface of comet 67/P, amid fears that its battery may die in hours. |
Researchers at Esa say the instrument is being deployed to its maximum extent despite the risk of toppling the lander. | |
Scientists hope they will also be able to capture some samples for analysis in the robot's onboard laboratories. | Scientists hope they will also be able to capture some samples for analysis in the robot's onboard laboratories. |
Two other instruments were deployed overnight including a thermometer to take the comet's temperature. | Two other instruments were deployed overnight including a thermometer to take the comet's temperature. |
If the battery dies the results may not make it back to Earth. | If the battery dies the results may not make it back to Earth. |
Stephan Ulamec, Philae lander manager said: "The drill has been active today, whether it will sample and will succeed in bringing these samples to ovens we shall know this evening. | Stephan Ulamec, Philae lander manager said: "The drill has been active today, whether it will sample and will succeed in bringing these samples to ovens we shall know this evening. |
"This would be fantastic but it is not secured - maybe the battery will be empty before we get contact again. | |
The ESA team says that the solar panels on the lander are getting small amounts of sunlight, but not enough for power in the short term. | |
"We plan to rotate the lander a little bit so that at the position where we have now this one panel that gets sun, we'll have a slightly larger panel and this would increase the chance that at a later stage the lander could wake up again and start talking to us again." | |
Valentina Lommats from DLR, the German Space Agency, added that she hoped Philae could bounce its way out its dark spot | |
"It's very unlikely, we're just throwing around ideas right now, hopefully we'll get the link, that's the most important thing, what happens after that... is cream on the top right now." | |
The team is still not sure where on the surface the probe came to rest after bouncing upon landing on Wednesday. | The team is still not sure where on the surface the probe came to rest after bouncing upon landing on Wednesday. |
Scientists have been examining radio transmissions between the orbiter and the lander to see if they can triangulate a position. | Scientists have been examining radio transmissions between the orbiter and the lander to see if they can triangulate a position. |
This work has now produced a "circle of uncertainty" within which Philae almost certainly lies. | This work has now produced a "circle of uncertainty" within which Philae almost certainly lies. |
Launched in 2004, the European Space Agency (Esa) mission hopes to learn about the origins of our Solar System. | Launched in 2004, the European Space Agency (Esa) mission hopes to learn about the origins of our Solar System. |
It has already sent back the first images ever taken from the crumbling, fractured terrain of a comet. | It has already sent back the first images ever taken from the crumbling, fractured terrain of a comet. |
Philae got to the icy 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on the back of Esa's Rosetta satellite after a 10-year, 6.4 billion-km (4bn-mile) journey, which reached its climax on Wednesday with a seven-hour drop to the surface. | Philae got to the icy 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on the back of Esa's Rosetta satellite after a 10-year, 6.4 billion-km (4bn-mile) journey, which reached its climax on Wednesday with a seven-hour drop to the surface. |