Rosetta comet mission

[Angakuk]

I just dropped a sheet of paper. It didn't bounce even a little bit. So much for science.

[thedoc]

Originally Posted by Angakuk

I just dropped a sheet of paper. It didn't bounce even a little bit. So much for science.

How did you manage to drop a piece of paper onto 67P?

[Angakuk]

Here is a better question. How did you manage to read my post as saying that I did drop it on 67p?

[thedoc]

Originally Posted by Angakuk

Here is a better question. How did you manage to read my post as saying that I did drop it on 67p?

You didn't say where you dropped it, I prefer not to assume, and the "where" of the dropping is a rather important bit of information that you neglected to include. Especially considering that there was some discussion of Philae vs a piece of paper weighing the same and bouncing off the comet. Again there was woefully inadequate information as to the "where" of the weight and the bounce.

[SR71]

Damn doc. Try to grow a sense of humor.

[Angakuk]

He shouldn't have any great difficulty doing that. He always has plenty of fertilizer at hand.

[thedoc]

Originally Posted by SR71

Damn doc. Try to grow a sense of humor.

I'm doing the best I can with what I got, which ain't much.

[thedoc]

Originally Posted by Angakuk

He shouldn't have any great difficulty doing that. He always has plenty of fertilizer at hand.

LOL, the pot calling the kettle black?

[JoeP]

Rosetta spacecraft begins to listen out for Philae contact | Science | The Guardian

The European Rosetta spacecraft began to listen out for its robotic lander this morning amid hopes that the comet-riding probe may soon have enough solar power to wake from hibernation.

The Philae lander has not been heard from since its batteries ran out three days after its dramatic and bouncy landing on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in November.

“In May we now start to have a good chance of making contact, and in June it will be even better. As we get closer and closer to the sun we hope the lander will get more and more power,” Ulamec said. The chances of Philae recharging its batteries will rise until mid-August when the comet passes closest to the sun before speeding back out into the darkness of the distant solar system.

[JoeP]

Philae comet lander wakes up, says European Space Agency - BBC News

[JoeP]

Rosetta probe studies released, revealing fullest picture of comet yet | Science | The Guardian

Serendipity played a role in the mission’s success. When Philae touched down for the first time, it knocked up a cloud of cometary material. Some got lodged in the exhaust pipe of an instrument called COSAC and warmed up enough to vaporise. As the Philae lander reached the height of its bounce, 150 metres above the surface, COSAC sniffed the vapours from the comet grains and found water, carbon monoxide and a rich brew of 14 organic chemicals. Four of them, methyl isocyanate, acetone, propionaldehyde and acetamide, had not been seen on comets before.

Mission scientists have not heard from Philae since 9 July, dampening spirits at the European Space Agency which were riding high after the craft awoke from a 7 month slumber in June. The lander called home after its solar panels captured enough sunlight to provide power to its systems. It is unclear why it fell silent again, but the probe may have been pushed into an awkward position by gas and dust now billowing from the comet’s surface.

Philae is not in good shape. One of its two receivers is dead, and one of its two transmitters is on the blink. Scientists on the mission are unsure if they will ever hear from the lander again.

[thedoc]

The article mentioned a hollow core, Comets have been described as dirty snowballs. Is it possible that the ice has been sublimated away leaving the "dirty" parts as a shell, the parts that aren't easily evaporated by Sunlight?

[JoeP]

I'm waking up this thread from its 428-day low-power mode.

The Rosetta mission is over, as the probe has crash-landed into the comet. It was, with the comet, heading out further from the sun and eventually wouldn't have enough power to do anything. So they went out with a bang, aiming to take some high-resolution photos from closer to the comet.

Rosetta probe lands on comet 67P ending 12-year mission | Science | The Guardian

Even if the probe isn't completely damaged by the landing, the computers were programmed to shut everything down on impact.

Mission complete: Rosetta’s journey ends in daring descent to comet / Rosetta / Space Science / Our Activities / ESA

[JoeP]

As ever, xkcd has it: