MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Europe makes history successfully landing spacecraft on a comet, a ten year precision cosmic chase
A European spacecraft made history Wednesday by successfully landing on the icy, dusty surface of a speeding comet, an audacious cosmic first designed to answer big questions about the origin of the universe. The landing on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko required immense precision, as even the slightest error could have resulted in cosmic calamity. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesAn amazing feat. The logistics of landing on something moving are mind boggling.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 09:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0A great achievement for all involved. Well done!
Nov 13th, 2014 - 10:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0Further demonstration that Europe is now at the forefront (and potentially leading) the effort to understand the wider Universe.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 11:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0Between CERN, ESA and the European Southern Observatory we have best toys.
”Further demonstration that Europe is now at the forefront (and potentially leading) the effort to understand the wider Universe.”
Nov 13th, 2014 - 12:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0and when you say europe, you are excluding britain, no?
The CERN convention was signed in 1953 by the 12 founding states Belgium, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia, and entered into force on 29 September 1954. The organization was subsequently joined by Austria (1959), Spain (1961-1969, re-joined 1983), Portugal (1985), Finland (1991), Poland (1991), Czechoslovak Republic (1992), Hungary (1992), Bulgaria (1999) and Israel (2014). The Czech Republic and Slovak Republic re-joined CERN after their mutual independence in 1993. Yugoslavia left CERN in 1961. Today CERN has 21 member states, and Romania is a candidate to become a member state. Serbia is an associate member in the pre-stage to membership.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 12:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0ESA now has 20 Member States. The national bodies responsible for space in these countries sit on ESA’s governing Council: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
ESO, the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, is an inter-governmental organisation with 15 Member States*. These member states are: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
So NOT excluding the United Kingdom, we are active members of all 3 organizations.
@4. 'Europe' is far more than the EU. Britain is a founding member of the European Space Agency. British organisations supplied much of the equipment, both for the spacecraft and the lander.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 12:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#4
Nov 13th, 2014 - 12:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You have yet again just demonstrated your pathetic anglophobia and inability to grasp even simple facts.
As noted by #5 the UK was a founding member of both ESA and CERN. We joined ESO late largely because we had our own facilities (or shared them with Australia and other partners). When we joined ESO we built them a shiny new telescope (VISTA).
Today we play an instrumental (pun intended) role in all of these organisations.
Care to admit you're wrong?
This fantastic effort should be celebrated by all.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 02:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Never mind number 4 your anti British has lost again,
Nov 13th, 2014 - 02:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0still,
apparently the spacecraft will leave a picture of CFK on the comet,
for all you argies to look up and pray to...lolol
If that doesn't give you a mental breakdown trying to figure out the calculations to get it on the comet nothing will.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 02:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I'm just wondering who took the photo. ... they said it is unmanned. ........
Nov 13th, 2014 - 02:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0.... ooooooooohhhhhhh.........
“”“and when you say europe, you are excluding britain, no?”“”
Nov 13th, 2014 - 03:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Correct: No
11, I think you'll find thats an artists impression.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 03:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A bit like the “we did NOT land on the moon” nutters...
In training NASA set up environments to simulate the moon including similar terrain models. Not as the nutters would say to fool the general public, but to get the Astronauts familiar with the look and feel of the alien environment.
@13 zathras re:#11
Nov 13th, 2014 - 04:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I was being jovial ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ (and secretly hoping some looney conspiracy theorist trolls would pop-up!)
;-)
14 ilsen
Nov 13th, 2014 - 05:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The looney did pop up @4
Amazing feat to land a spacecraft on a another body moving at 66,000 km/hr, at such a huge distance from Earth.
No 'real time' navigation available.
@4 Pablo CabanaBoy
Nice satellite youse got there - welcome to the 20th Century
:-)
It is very difficult to get serious science based achievements over to Polly and the rest of the argie trolls because they have never been involved in any themselves.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 05:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This achievement is without doubt one of the most difficult things to do and it is a pity that the Lander did not totally perform as designed and expected.
However the real problem may be that the photovoltaic cells may not collect enough sunlight due to the shadow over the lander.
Has anybody heard anything of the argie satellite effort or are they still trying to find it? Perhaps it’s in hiding from TMBOA.
~11
Nov 13th, 2014 - 05:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0IT is unmanned as you ascribe to, must be one of those darstardly FALKLAND nuclear penquins, christ they get everywhere.
UK has substantial space industry, and significant involvement with this project.
Nov 13th, 2014 - 06:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/engineering/11221945/UK-space-industry-behind-Rosetta-comet-mission.html
And 4 has gone very quiet,
Nov 13th, 2014 - 08:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0perhaps he fell of the comet...lol
Nah. Run out of pesos in the internet cafe as usual
Nov 13th, 2014 - 08:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@4
Nov 13th, 2014 - 10:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0”and when you say europe, you are excluding britain, no?2
Like the camera that sent the pictures back was designed and made in the UK?
Excluding the UK but having British kit inside-how does that work.
We know what Argentina's contribution will be-this lander discovered the Comet but it will be claimed by Argentina, within 25 years?
Zathras et al,
Nov 13th, 2014 - 11:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Doesn't Pablo CabanaBoy know that a comet is a bad omen.
Long thought to be amongst undeveloped cultures, a harbinger of default and disaster.
The UK/Europe has a fine record of spacefaring probes going tits up at the last minute. Remember the Beagle 2?
Nov 14th, 2014 - 05:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0And a misshapen lump of rock and dirty ice is going to solve all the mysteries of the universe, right?
How did life on earth start? It was the comets wot done it. Duh!
23 Bongo
Nov 14th, 2014 - 05:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0So, the significance of the technical feat escapes you, Bongo?
- and of course, we have everything here on Earth already- nothing to learn, right???
Did you and Paul CabanaBoy go to 'Science School' together?
May run out of batteries in a few hours.
Nov 14th, 2014 - 06:36 am - Link - Report abuse 025 Marcos
Nov 14th, 2014 - 07:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0sure, I guess its a complete failure then?
Is that all you could come up with ?
'struth...
#3 - gutter - the US went to the moon...hmmmm...about 50 years ago, where were the Europeans? How is that for European lead....who will be on Mars first....? Europeans...I think not, how 'bout some good 'old Americans. NASA Eagleworks and space warp drive...100% percent American.
Nov 14th, 2014 - 07:43 am - Link - Report abuse 014 ilsen (#)
Nov 14th, 2014 - 09:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0I didn't mean you are a nutter, LOL
22 Troy Tempest (#)
“Zathras not of this time. You take, Zathras die. You leave, Zathras die. Either way, it is bad for Zathras.”
27 Sallus (#)
The Moon was a good start, but future exploration by humans will require the expertise, knowledge and financing from many nations.
Human exploration allows an infinite degree of flexibilty that robots cannot achieve. However humans require complex environmental systems, which make the spacecraft much bigger. A good parallel is modern jet fighters to modern unmanned drones. Future exploration with humans and robots would be the best way forward.
@ 23 Bongo
Nov 14th, 2014 - 10:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0Ah! The god guy has come back.
Bit worried that god will get upset we are waking him up with all the extra bits flying in “the heavens then?”
The bible was written by medieval people who, generally, were shit scared of being burnt at the stake for heresy if they even thought that the earth travelled around the sun. Oh! You didn't know that?
I should stick to what you know best: kiddie fiddlers in dresses and mumbo-jumbo if I were you, no need to stretch you few brain cells any more.
Let the rest of us live in ignorance of your “understanding” of science, it's as laughable as your belief in a god.
23 Bongo (#)
Nov 14th, 2014 - 10:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0If you look at ALL unmanned probes to Mars they have a failure rate of roughly 50%.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars
Is well worth a read
Currently the best fit to the data suggests a lot of the water now on earth was from the bombardment of comets of the young earth.
Assuming you accept the Earth is many roughly 4.5 Billion of years old. The universe itself being about 14 Billion years old.
The Chemical make up of comets is not precisely known, although spectroscopic studies of comet tails has given a lot of data. Actually landing a probe on one and direct analysis of its make up is obviously the best solution.
#27 Sallus
Nov 14th, 2014 - 11:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0Thanks for your response, you may have noticed that I used the word “now” in my comment. We could argue around some of the largely geopolitical reasons why the US got to the moon first but that is really missing the point of my comment.
In terms of space exploration I would say at the moment the US and Europe are closely matched. Rosetta is a beautiful mission but then so is Curiosity. Looking to the future planned ESA missions are certainly more exciting in my mind: Don Quijote which will investigate asteroids and work towards deflection technology; and JUICE will explore Jupiter's moons, searching for signs in life.
In terms of particle physics CERN truly does lead the world.
In terms of Astronomy, the James Webb Space Telescope is the next big thing, though that is a NASA/ESA/CSA partnership. Several other ground breaking facilities like ALMA and the upcoming Square Kilometre Array are also “international”. However, Europe will lead with the creation of the European Extremely Large Telescope which at ~39m in diameter has a much large area than the even more unimaginatively named US led “Thirty Metre Telescope”.
Finally, ESA (and in particular the UK) has always de-emphasised manned space flight over technology building and scientific missions like Rosetta. In terms of science much more can be achieved robotically for the same resources.
A few other clarifications:
“The US went to the moon” ... with European (particularly German) rocketry experience.
“NASA Eagleworks and space warp drive...100% percent American.” ... Wrong, the EmDrive which is the focus of much of the Eagleworks programme is based on a British design. However, it is still very much unclear whether this actually works, o even should work.
@27
Nov 14th, 2014 - 11:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0“space warp drive...100% percent American.”
Altthough Zefram Cochrane - indeed an American created a working warp drive - the technology was already in use. Indeed Cochrane's warp engine signature was detected by the Vulcans who used warp to power their own craft ; )
32 Trunce (#)
Nov 14th, 2014 - 01:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Although I believe the Borg Collective did try to interfere with the timeline, however the FIRST CONTACT was successfully achieved and the NEMESIS defeated.
@33 zathras
Nov 14th, 2014 - 01:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Regrettably, in my post - I interfered with the timeline by using the past tense.
Of course, I should have said that Zefram Cochrane WILL create a warp drive (2063 to be precise)...: )
34 Trunce
Nov 14th, 2014 - 04:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This only applies to THIS universe, you realise.
The Trolls are living in a parallel timeline where freedom to think does not exist, fascism maintained its rightful ascendency in Europe and LATAM.
By 1950, Jaun Peron, Emperor of the United Provinces, passes into law, the “Agrarian Reform Act”, an Ethnic cleansing of the Patagonian wilderness for the following year.
As promised, Railway tracks will be laid for the first time, bringing steam train service to the new “settlers” who have been gifted free land from Peron.
Chilé controls all trade around Cape Horn and the Beagle Channel, after sinking the UP Armada from their Falkland Island base, in 1936. UP is too busy in their failing dispute with New Paraguay, maritime state, over the River Plate access.
India consolidates its hold over Southern Asia, after the disastrous Communist famine of China, in 1955.
Manned space flight beyond will not be realised except by the USSR who will have an operational “Peace Platform” in high orbit by the 21st c.
@35 Troy
Nov 14th, 2014 - 05:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Unmasked - you must surely be Terry Pratchett of Discworld fame!
Oh come on guys, the likes of bongo and the rest, may have a valid point,
Nov 14th, 2014 - 08:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0perhaps that comet, landed on the earth, the picture fell of, moulded into the soil, and hey presto, Argentina was created.....lolol
36
Nov 14th, 2014 - 08:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Trunce,
Yes, you have found me out.
A world of “Anglo” failed states - pure fantasy of course.
Wouldn't they love it though?
;-)
@37 Briton
Nov 14th, 2014 - 09:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The comet's colour bears an uncanny resemblance to the colour of Argentina's most used flag in 1982.
Therefore expect them to claim the comet-using the words 'the Europeans usurped us'.
Just how did you people end up centric to Argentina from some Comet? Sounds kind of stupid.
Nov 15th, 2014 - 01:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0You people.....Mmmm.....somewhat familiar....
Nov 15th, 2014 - 02:31 am - Link - Report abuse 0Can't put my finger on it.....sure I've heard that phrase somewhere......;-)
25 Marcos Alejandro Nov 14th, 2014
Nov 15th, 2014 - 03:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“May run out of batteries in a few hours”
Run out of batteries.
This amazing technical feat was achieved by international cooperation for the benefit of all humankind.
Nov 15th, 2014 - 04:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Sad to see Marcos and some others being derogatory about it. Tells you a lot about Argentine education and culture.
43 ilsen
Nov 15th, 2014 - 06:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0To think that Marcos, and likely the rest of those jealous knuckle-dragging Trolls, would be gleeful the lander has stopped sending.
A great loss of opportunity for all of us, after such an effort. Who knows what could have been learned.
Anyone of intelligence would be lamenting the loss.
Troy
Nov 15th, 2014 - 07:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Apparently it is just 'sleeping' and the technicians are waiting to see if they can extend the solar panels to get it 'awake' again.
What ever happens, has been proven that they can get the technology out there and LAND it on a frickin' COMET !!
A truly stunning achievement.
@45 ilsen
Nov 15th, 2014 - 10:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I know it's not necessarily “end of mission”.
Just comet-ing on the brain-dead Trolls whose jealous blind hatred has them salivating at the prospect.
Thanks for reiterating the magnitude of the feat, millions of miles from the Earth!
The Argies can't win a war “exactly 192 n.m. From the nearest Argentine territory...”, and can't sail their destroyer across the Atlantic pond without catastrophic failure!
Idiot marionette English wannabe and his English friend.
Nov 15th, 2014 - 10:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I did not say that I was happy about it, I just stated the facts.
Ilsen “Argentine education and culture”
English education and culture...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/11231320/Rosetta-mission-scientist-Dr-Matt-Taylor-cries-during-apology-over-offensive-shirt.html#
47 Marcos
Nov 15th, 2014 - 11:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Get real - you hypocritical coward.
Do you have the courage of your convictions or not??
Do you even know what they are??
Honestly, you start off belittling the achievement, then you make a politically correct disclaimer...
Then , you are gloating about the batteries dying and implied failure of the mission!!!
Now, you're back-peddling once more.
You know you are wrong, but instead of giving due credit, you betray yourself intellectually, and display your petty jealousies.
You're the only failure on this thread, Marcos.
Trolling for the sake of trolling.
Marcos is an utterly pathetic failure. He even fails at trolling. A true testament to Argentine education and culture.
Nov 15th, 2014 - 11:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0He is so consumed by jealousy that he can't accept that the Europeans who achieved this are trying to add to his knowledge and education, and for all of us.
I hope they never experience people like him.
“A European spacecraft made history”
Nov 15th, 2014 - 11:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaF6FxmixJk
50 Marcos
Nov 16th, 2014 - 12:14 am - Link - Report abuse 0Is that all you have to say?
@48, I really condemned your ethics, your intelligence, your integrity, and most of all, your intellectual honesty - and you cannot even string together two coherent thoughts to refute those failings!
You are not 'off the hook' regarding your pathetic failure.
Posting a 'funny' video, only emphasises your inability to reason or argue.
@46
Nov 16th, 2014 - 04:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0Let's see you IMBECILE:
EU: 507.000.000 pop.
US: 330.000.000 pop.
ARG: 40.000.000 pop.
And you expect Argentina to send probes into space like those two? Shows how absolutely and utterly ridiculous and out of touch you have become with your ARGENTINE HATRED.
Yawn. Anyone noticed how the phraseology of Marcos is very similar to other trolls. You just have to make him angry and suddenly we have....
Nov 16th, 2014 - 04:37 am - Link - Report abuse 0“ English wannabe” etc.
Marcos is paulcedron!
Haha!
51 Troy Tempest
Nov 16th, 2014 - 06:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0You wrote:
”@48(YOU), I really condemned your ethics, your intelligence, your integrity, and most of all, your intellectual honesty ..”
If you say so..
Talking to yourself UVic boy?
Stop obsessing yourself with a failed European spacecraft and focus more in Victoria that pumps 130 million liters of raw sewage daily into the Juan de Fuca Strait.
54 Marcos
Nov 16th, 2014 - 07:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0“If you say so...”
and your totally irrelevant “ whataboutery ” regarding pollution???
Are you a COMPLETE fcuking moron??
You've shown yourself to be a proper Dumkopf and still unable to competently demonstrate any integrity.
You have contradicted your own words by your actions.
Furthermore, you have resorted to trite comments and taunts, but even there, you have proven incompetent.
You confuse “ Vancouver” with “Vancouver Island”, and I can assure you that I have never been to UVic, not have I ever said I had.
You really have an undisciplined and lazy mind - not as clever as you would like to be.
BTW,
you have compounded your hypocrisy - Argentina has one of the world's top 10 most polluted rivers, running 40 km through your most populated city.
Finally, Argentina in the “Top 10”!
http://www.hydratelife.org/?p=724
Yep, laffing at you!!
Are you related to Mr. Floatie?
Nov 16th, 2014 - 04:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Vaughn Palmer: Politics of sewage a capital disgrace”
“The shame of my hometown — dumping millions of litres of untreated sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca every day”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-NWbzB3ut0
56 Marcos Deficiency
Nov 16th, 2014 - 05:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You are woefully off-topic.
You jealously wanted to denigrate the accomplishment of landing a spacecraft on a comet, millions of miles away, travelling at 66,000 mph, and you did.
But you didn't have the balls to do it without posting a contradictory disclaimer.
You suck at arguing, you are too cowardly to have any integrity, and now...
you suck at diversion, too.
You're a hypocrit and a coward, and you just proved it once again!
Keep posting - we're laffing at you !!!
:-D
Mr. Floatie :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Nov 16th, 2014 - 11:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0just thought I'd mention it....
Nov 19th, 2014 - 04:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30102343
A British-led consortium has outlined its plans to land a robotic probe on the Moon in 10 years' time.
Any takers?
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