Philae Lands on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

On November 12, 2014, the Rosetta spacecraft’s Philae Lander successfully landed on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The landing was not without some excitement. The lander’s automated harpoon system failed to work, allowing Philae to bounce twice before coming safely to rest. This mosaic is composed of a series of images captured by Rosetta’s OSIRIS camera before, during, and after Philae’s first touchdown.

Unfortunately, the solar-powered lander ended up in the shadow of a cliff. Within its two-and-a-half day primary mission, it completed its science data collection and transmitted the data to Earth. Then it entered hibernation due to power loss. As the comet approaches the Sun there may be enough light available to wake up the lander.

Rosetta is an international mission led by the European Space Agency.