SPACE Placed since November 12, 2014 on Tchouri comet, there is little chance that Philae wakes. Fourteen months after landing, Mission almost completed for the little robot …
“Do not dream, it is the attempt last chance.” He might have his head in the stars, Philippe Gaudon, the project manager of Rosetta mission for CNES, has not less grounded.
This engineer of the Center for Science Operations and Navigation, based in the Pink City, knows that Philae posed since November 12, 2014 on Tchouri comet, is unlikely to wake up after seven months of hibernation. Fourteen months after the landing of Philae and many twists, it gives a “positive” assessment of the mission fulfilled by the small robot of 100 kg on which he watches for twelve years. The decision to stop the connection attempts should be made these days.
Asking for millions of kilometers from Earth, a feat
By posing on Tchouri, 500 million kilometers from Earth, Philae has achieved a feat. A first followed live by millions of people, passionate about the adventures of the little robot.
” For us it’s more than one way to success, but primarily because we managed to land Philae and eight of its ten instruments functioned . Certainly, as he bounced it took during the two days following its landing redo all the calculations, but it is a very emotional moment when there was a real team player, “recalls Philippe Gaudon .
The robot worked 60 hours straight before dying, and to give his new several times. If he resisted the cold temperatures, email has certainly been overcome by the heat as the comet approached the sun in August.
Prebiotic molecules, living sources
On the scientific level, the data collected by Philae on Tchouri allowed to develop scientific knowledge about comets. Prebiotic molecules, at least 16, have been found. Their presence confirms that when billions of comets have hit Earth and brought water to Earth, life might have appeared thanks to the presence of these famous molecules.
This confirms the general theory even if scientists found water on Tchouri is not that of our oceans. But I must say it is still millions of kilometers of cows floor. “To confirm, it will go to see others and bring a piece of a comet to Earth for analysis,” Philippe Gaudon advocates. It remains to find funding.
Oxygen and surprises
With the absence of earth drilling of the comet, the expected results will not all be at the rendezvous . “But at least 80%, which is already very good,” says Philippe Gaudon. And sometimes some brought their share of surprises.
“We have seen the inside of the lobe of the comet, seen near the surface and we now know that it changes according to heat stress, depending hot and cold. We know more about the hardness of the soil, which consists of two layers. All this was unknown before, as well as the presence of molecular oxygen that it is not betrayed before or no magnetic field of its core “, Philippe Gaudon shells. What questioning certainties and a lot of help to refine theories about the formation of planets
& gt;. & Gt; Read also: Three hypotheses to explain the oxygen Tchouri
Rosetta continues its mission solo
If done Philae a deaf ear, stuck between the rocks, the mission is not completed so far. Rosetta continues to work. After 1500 km away to explore the tail of the Comet, Rosetta will continue to observe and sniff in gradually approaching Tchouri
Objective:. Observe its mass and Compare that of 2014, when he arrived in orbit. “In some places she lost 5-10 centimeters, this will allow us to better understand how a body that formed billions of kilometers from the sun is changing when comes close,” says Philippe Gaudon.
Landing scheduled for September 30 Rosetta
Rosetta should have completed its mission on 31 December, but had a little rab. Like all good things must end and that he keep it a minimum of fuel so as not to miss the landing, she should ask Tchouri definitively on 30 September. Not necessarily next to Philae, but on a flat area to be determined.
The probe will descend into several times, just to be able to photograph the comet and to the end of send images to Earth. In July it will thus be 10 kilometers from the frozen tarmac. Two months later, she should ask, but as it has no foot, it may not recover.
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