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joeychitwood · 13 November 2014, 02:30 AM

This boggles the mind. After a 10 year, four billion mile trip, the ESA Rosetta spacecraft arrived at a comet which is 2 miles across and is moving through space at 34,000 miles per hour. This morning, the Rosetta craft launched the Philae lander, which landed on the comet and fired harpoons into the surface to hold itself in place. It will soon be sending data back to Earth from a dirty snowball which has been hurtling through space for 4.5 billion years.

SearChart · 13 November 2014, 02:35 AM

Impressive!

joeychitwood · 13 November 2014, 02:38 AM

I'd love to see the math involved in programming the trajectory before the spacecraft took off. Not much room for error when aiming at a two mile wide rock ten years and four billion miles in the future.

Vinh · 13 November 2014, 03:05 AM

Mind-boggling indeed. Consumer electronics struggle to last 10 years, yet a spacecraft engineered years before its launch accomplished its low-probability mission. Amazing stuff.

joeychitwood · 13 November 2014, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinh

Mind-boggling indeed. Consumer electronics struggle to last 10 years, yet a spacecraft engineered years before its launch accomplished its low-probability mission. Amazing stuff.

The space agencies have a good record of their missions lasting well beyond their design.

Voyager 1 and 2 were launched in 1977 with a five year mission to end in 1982. 32 years later, they continue to travel into interstellar space and send information back to Earth.

The Mars rover Spirit lasted 25 times longer than its projected mission of three months. The rover Opportunity, launched in 2003 with the hope that it would work for three months continues to send data to Earth and has traveled over 25 miles on the Mars surface.

locutus49 · 13 November 2014, 03:13 AM

Amazing feat. America will no longer fund such "useless" projects, so I'm glad Europe is taking the lead.

joeychitwood · 13 November 2014, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locutus49

Amazing feat. America will no longer fund such "useless" projects, so I'm glad Europe is taking the lead.

It's sad. I guess no one really needs the products of a space program such as GPS, weather forecasts, satellite data, cable and satellite TV, cell phones, Velcro, computers, freeze-dried food or the internet.

The Joker · 13 November 2014, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locutus49

Amazing feat. America will no longer fund such "useless" projects, so I'm glad Europe is taking the lead.

At least we now know if we have to land Bruce Willis on one of these things to blow it up, we can. Or at least divert it away from a European impact to a US one.

vitalsignsrn · 13 November 2014, 03:40 AM

Thats mind blowing. Awesome.

FiftyTwoEighty · 13 November 2014, 03:51 AM

No doubt, that was pretty cool!

I was able to watch, as our local news station KTLA, provided coverage.

Angrypuppy · 13 November 2014, 04:27 AM

Science.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Brenngun · 14 November 2014, 01:08 AM

Super cool.

Big congrats to the ESA for the best "Incoming" thread I've seen in a long while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angrypuppy

Science.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agreed !!!!! If only everyone on this rock also believed in science. Imagine where we'd be .........

locutus49 · 14 November 2014, 01:33 AM

Something like 50% of Americans believe the Earth is only 6000 years old. Of course they also believe all Rolexes on eBay are genuine, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brenngun

Super cool.

Big congrats to the ESA for the best "Incoming" thread I've seen in a long while.

Agreed !!!!! If only everyone on this rock also believed in science. Imagine where we'd be .........

bayerische · 14 November 2014, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locutus49

Something like 50% of Americans believe the Earth is only 6000 years old.

A crazy fact indeed.

The Joker · 13 November 2014, 04:59 AM

The Philae Lander is tweeting from the surface of the comet. It is saying its harpoons didn't fire. Hold on buddy.

https://twitter.com/Philae2014/statu...79550069551104

Laszlo · 13 November 2014, 05:20 AM

Incredible!

The Joker · 13 November 2014, 07:41 PM

Still no info of whether the Philae lander clung on or bounced off. Apparently they also had a glitch a few days ago, but in time-honored fashion was fixed by turning off the computers and turning them back on.

Some pics of flybys by Rosetta of the earth, mars, asteroid Lutetia and landing on comet 67P.

Lutetia

comet 67P

AzPaul · 13 November 2014, 09:10 PM

Is it safe to wear a Rolex on the surface of a comet?

bayerische · 13 November 2014, 09:15 PM

Reporting now that Philae sits securely on the comet.

The Joker · 13 November 2014, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bayerische

Reporting now that Philae sits securely on the comet.

Yes he just tweeted from the surface.

Hello! An update on life on #67P - Yesterday was exhausting! I actually performed 3 landings,15:33, 17:26 & 17:33 UTC. Stay tuned for more.

Amazing he bounced back up twice. Maybe the surface is made of rubber.

Photo from where it's sitting.

SUBversive · 13 November 2014, 10:35 PM

Very cool

OmegaJJH · 13 November 2014, 10:36 PM

As others have said.... Mind blowing!

SearChart · 13 November 2014, 10:44 PM

Thanks for sharing those pictures Wes!

teqp · 14 November 2014, 12:12 AM

Thanks for the awesome photos!

very cool indeed.

capote · 14 November 2014, 12:55 AM

Good to hear the landing went ok in the end. Amazing stuff.

The Joker · 15 November 2014, 10:22 AM

The Philae Lander has been tweeting a lot, but looks like it is gonna run out of battery any time now. It did rotate itself 35degree to try and get some more sunlight for power, but looks like the rock/cliff next to it is the problem.

But looks like it has completed quite a bit of "science" including a drill.

I will use all my remaining energy to "communicate" between @ESA_Rosetta and myself with @ConsertRosetta

So much hard work.. getting tired... my battery voltage is approaching the limit soon now

I confirm that my @RosettaSD2 went all the way DOWN and UP again!! First comet drilling is a fact! :)

Only new pic posted so far, not sure exactly what it is.

13 November 2014, 02:30 AM	#1
joeychitwood "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Way Up North USA Watch: Rolexes & Tudors Posts: 6,361	European Space Agency Lands Philae Spacecraft On A Comet! This boggles the mind. After a 10 year, four billion mile trip, the ESA Rosetta spacecraft arrived at a comet which is 2 miles across and is moving through space at 34,000 miles per hour. This morning, the Rosetta craft launched the Philae lander, which landed on the comet and fired harpoons into the surface to hold itself in place. It will soon be sending data back to Earth from a dirty snowball which has been hurtling through space for 4.5 billion years.

13 November 2014, 03:51 AM	#10
FiftyTwoEighty 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: May 2012 Real Name: Woody Location: Surf City USA Watch: me live @the Beach Posts: 1,794	No doubt, that was pretty cool! I was able to watch, as our local news station KTLA, provided coverage. __________________ Some 4 digits, 5 digits, and 6 digits 2FA

13 November 2014, 04:27 AM	#11
Angrypuppy "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Real Name: Jason Location: FL390 Posts: 2,376	Science. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ It's not about the watch a man wears, it's about what a man does while he's wearing the watch....Toomuchtalk

13 November 2014, 05:20 AM	#16
Laszlo 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: San Francisco, CA Watch: Date & No Date Posts: 10,868	Incredible! __________________ "You might as well question why we breathe. If we stop breathing, we'll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die." Paul Henreid as Victor Laszlo in Casablanca

13 November 2014, 09:10 PM	#18
AzPaul 2024 ROLEX SUBMARINER 41 Pledge Member Join Date: May 2012 Real Name: Paul Location: Tucson, Az Watch: Rolex 1501 Posts: 13,903	Is it safe to wear a Rolex on the surface of a comet? __________________ Ain't much of a crime, whacking a surly bartender

13 November 2014, 02:38 AM	#3
joeychitwood "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Way Up North USA Watch: Rolexes & Tudors Posts: 6,361	I'd love to see the math involved in programming the trajectory before the spacecraft took off. Not much room for error when aiming at a two mile wide rock ten years and four billion miles in the future.

13 November 2014, 03:05 AM	#4
Vinh "TRF" Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 6	Mind-boggling indeed. Consumer electronics struggle to last 10 years, yet a spacecraft engineered years before its launch accomplished its low-probability mission. Amazing stuff.

13 November 2014, 03:13 AM	#6
locutus49 Banned Join Date: May 2014 Real Name: John Location: La Jolla, CA Watch: Platona Posts: 12,194	Amazing feat. America will no longer fund such "useless" projects, so I'm glad Europe is taking the lead.

13 November 2014, 03:40 AM	#9
vitalsignsrn "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Real Name: Judy Location: Ontario Watch: 116234 - 14060M Posts: 4,607	Thats mind blowing. Awesome.

13 November 2014, 04:59 AM	#15
The Joker "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Gotham Posts: 9,641	The Philae Lander is tweeting from the surface of the comet. It is saying its harpoons didn't fire. Hold on buddy. https://twitter.com/Philae2014/statu...79550069551104

13 November 2014, 07:41 PM	#17
The Joker "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Gotham Posts: 9,641	Still no info of whether the Philae lander clung on or bounced off. Apparently they also had a glitch a few days ago, but in time-honored fashion was fixed by turning off the computers and turning them back on. Some pics of flybys by Rosetta of the earth, mars, asteroid Lutetia and landing on comet 67P. Lutetia comet 67P

13 November 2014, 09:15 PM	#19
bayerische "TRF" Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Real Name: Andreas Location: Margaritaville Watch: Smurf Posts: 19,879	Reporting now that Philae sits securely on the comet. __________________ Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

13 November 2014, 10:35 PM	#21
SUBversive Banned Join Date: May 2011 Location: ri Watch: Sun Dial Posts: 14,346	Very cool

13 November 2014, 10:36 PM	#22
OmegaJJH "TRF" Member Join Date: May 2013 Real Name: James Location: UK Watch: Rolex & Omega Posts: 6,668	As others have said.... Mind blowing!

14 November 2014, 12:12 AM	#24
teqp "TRF" Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Real Name: Phil Location: SoCal Watch: 116613LN Posts: 3,052	Thanks for the awesome photos! very cool indeed.

14 November 2014, 12:55 AM	#25
capote "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Real Name: Daniel Location: Sweden Watch: 16570 Posts: 7,315	Good to hear the landing went ok in the end. Amazing stuff.

15 November 2014, 10:22 AM	#26
The Joker "TRF" Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Gotham Posts: 9,641	The Philae Lander has been tweeting a lot, but looks like it is gonna run out of battery any time now. It did rotate itself 35degree to try and get some more sunlight for power, but looks like the rock/cliff next to it is the problem. But looks like it has completed quite a bit of "science" including a drill. I will use all my remaining energy to "communicate" between @ESA_Rosetta and myself with @ConsertRosetta So much hard work.. getting tired... my battery voltage is approaching the limit soon now I confirm that my @RosettaSD2 went all the way DOWN and UP again!! First comet drilling is a fact! :) Only new pic posted so far, not sure exactly what it is.

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