Paris (AFP) – The robot Philae on Thursday began gathering spectacular images of the comet “tchouri” despite an uncomfortable position, one leg “in the air” and in the shadow, which may decrease the efficiency of its solar batteries.
Dropped over 500 million km from Earth by the European probe Rosetta, after ten years of traveling with her, the lander touched down on Wednesday comet nucleus “tchouri” First of all in the space provided. But harpoons that had to align the ground did not work and Philae was nearly two hours, “a huge leap” of about one kilometer, said Thursday Ulamec Stephan, head of the lander.
The robot then has a smaller jump, much shorter, before finally stabilizing on the comet, has he added during a press briefing at the European Space Agency (ESA) Darmstadt (Germany). “There has been an inflation landing,” said he joked.
“We understand better how we landed, but we still do not know exactly where,” said he said.
The lander is not anchored to the surface of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, but the instruments work and send images and data.
They show that it is on an inclined slope, “almost vertical”, with its three legs “in the air, or rather turned toward space,” according to Jean-Pierre Bibring, scientific director of the landing.
The little robot is next to a cliff so threatening. “We are in the shade and it’s part of the problem,” admitted Mr. Bibring. Philae receives only a hour and a half of sun a day instead of six or seven hours required for the operation of its solar batteries
-. No drilling for now –
Philae is equipped with a battery that will last “50-55 hours,” according to Philippe Gaudon, head of the Rosetta project at the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in Toulouse. It “works well and provides energy.”
Then, it is expected that solar panels take over to supply rechargeable batteries and continue the work at a very slow pace.
But the little sunny spot where the robot could cause problems. This may shorten its operation. In contrast, solar panels do not appear damaged.
“We could try to better orient” these panels, Mr. Bibring said.
Meanwhile, Philae work bravely. Eight out of ten scientific instruments have been activated. The robot laboratory has made X-ray within the comet to study magnetism, make images of the ground, to analyze complex molecules released from the surface.
The robot is primarily responsible to find the nucleus of the comet organic molecules that may have played a role in the emergence of life on Earth, comets are the most primitive objects in the solar system.
One of its main tasks was to go the drill floor to take a sample to analyze.
It is not planned at the moment. “We’re hesitant at this time to undertake these holes (…). It is dangerous because we risk unbalancing the lander,” said Mr. Ulamec.
The robot, which weighs 100 kg on Earth, has a
It should be “tension harpoons to compensate for the drilling force, if the lander could rise” mass of one gram of the comet., noted Mr. Gaudon. “Our priority is to continue to make scientific analyzes without moving anything” yet.
The charge of the mission, however, not exclude to make a move later to Philae to reposition it.
Initially, it was expected that Philae runs until March. It may be “hibernating” come and who knows, “he might wake up in a few months,” argued Mr. Ulamec. He then die of heat, when the comet will approach the sun.
But the Rosetta mission will be far from complete. The probe, which has traveled 6.5 billion miles in space, continue to escort “tchouri” at least until August 13. It was at this time that the comet will pass closest to the sun.
The landing on a comet is a first in the history of space exploration, the highlight of an adventure that began 20 years ago, which cost $ 1.3 billion.
“It is really impressive, it is not the degree of failure, but the degree of success “he stated Mr. Bibring.
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