Anyone watching the comet landing?

[Angry Floof]

The separation of Philae (lander) and Rosetta took place about an hour ago. Philae will reach its target landing area on comet 67P in about four hours, and then we wait two hours for communication from Rosetta that Philae has landed.

Exciting!

Live stream: http://new.livestream.com/esa/cometlanding

Updates: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Live_updates_Rosetta_mission_comet_landing

The comet sings: https://soundcloud.com/esaops/a-singing-comet

 

[Angry Floof]

Philae sent a picture just after separation from Rosetta.



Now very close to the surface of 67P!

 

[Angry Floof]

Philae's landing gear deployment confirmed. Touch down in less than an hour.

 

[Mageth]

Success!

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

That's one small step for a lander, one giant leap for ESA.

 

[Angry Floof]

Harpoons fired, landing gear retracted. We're on the comet!

 

[James Brown]

*[Achievement Unlocked]*

Good for us.

 

[Angry Floof]

*[Achievement Unlocked]*

Good for us.

haha! Yes!

 

[thebeave]

Harpoons fired, landing gear retracted. We're on the comet!

Shhhhhhh! We don't want Greenpeace to hear. They may try to sabotage the mission!

 

[Angry Floof]

Harpoons fired, landing gear retracted. We're on the comet!

Shhhhhhh! We don't want Greenpeace to hear. They may try to sabotage the mission!

NOOO! Save the lumps of rock flying through space!

 

[thebeave]

Shhhhhhh! We don't want Greenpeace to hear. They may try to sabotage the mission!

NOOO! Save the lumps of rock flying through space!

:laughing-smiley-014

It's actually not a rock. It's more like a dirty snowball [/nerdhat]

 

[Angry Floof]

NOOO! Save the lumps of rock flying through space!

:laughing-smiley-014

It's actually not a rock. It's more like a dirty snowball [/nerdhat]

Close enough!

 

[Bomb#20]

Harpoons fired, landing gear retracted. We're on the comet!

If there's so little gravity you have to hang on with harpoons, does it really count as "on"? [/nerdhat]

 

[braces_for_impact]

Harpoons fired, landing gear retracted. We're on the comet!

If there's so little gravity you have to hang on with harpoons, does it really count as "on"? [/nerdhat]

I just realized the ESA just made a pod racer.

 

[James Brown]

Harpoons fired, landing gear retracted. We're on the comet!

If there's so little gravity you have to hang on with harpoons, does it really count as "on"? [/nerdhat]

If a woman can put "on" earrings, then comets can put on landers.

 

[Angry Floof]

How long before we see images of the surface?

 

[Angry Floof]

 

[Valjean]

Media are reporting the harpoons failed to deploy.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Media are reporting the harpoons failed to deploy.

True enough, but it's singing - the Comet, that is.

Rosetta Comet sings loud and clear

 

[Angry Floof]

Media are reporting the harpoons failed to deploy.

Do you have a link? I have about seven browser tabs open for NASA, ESA, etc, and I'm not seeing this. The latest info on these sites is that touchdown was a success.

edit: Disregard. I found a mention on the ESA site.

Touchdown was planned to take place at a speed of around 1 m/s, with the three-legged landing gear absorbing the impact to prevent rebound, and an ice screw in each foot driving into the surface.

At the same time, two harpoons fired and locked the probe onto the surface.

But during the final health checks of the lander before separation, a problem was detected with the small thruster on top that was designed to counteract the recoil of the harpoons to push the lander down onto the surface. The conditions of landing – including whether or not the thruster performed – along with the exact location of Philae on the comet are being analysed.