Posted on 09/15/2014 9:10:55 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Site J is an intriguing region on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko that offers unique scientific potential, with hints of activity nearby, and minimum risk to the lander compared to the other candidate sites, according to ESA.
“As we have seen from recent close-up images, the comet is a beautiful but dramatic world – it is scientifically exciting, but its shape makes it operationally challenging,” says Ulamec.
“None of the candidate landing sites met all of the operational criteria at the 100% level, but Site J is clearly the best solution.”
Philae’s history making landing on comet 67P is currently scheduled for around Nov. 11, 2014, and will be entirely automatic. The 100 kg lander is equipped with 10 science instruments.
“All of Rosetta instruments are supporting the landing site selection,” said Holger Sierks, principal investigator for Rosetta’s OSIRIS camera from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
Should be very interesting. Thanks for posting.
Wow - how are they gonna pull that off - landing on a comet that’s most probably tumbling rapidly?
(and yes — I read the article... but still!)
The comet has something like a 12 hour rotation period.
This fascinates me. I’ve thought for years it would be neat to put some kind of communications package on comets and track them, and take observations of the universe as they travel... and now they are doing it.
I think they should also stash a bottle of Guiness. But thats just me.
How big is this comet? Does it have its own gravitational field? What’s going to hold the lander in place once it touches down?
Inquiring minds want to know
Its got very low gravity but the lander has a harpoon to anchor itself when it touches down.
Of course the comet has a gravitational field. We would need to know its mass to calculate the strength of the field.
I think it was Buzz Aldrin who proposed using asteroids that cross the orbit of both earth and mars as freight haulers.
Good idea for moving cargo that isn’t time sensitive. Land it on the asteroid when it passes earth and in a few years launch the cargo toward mars.
If the asteroid is big enough we could even hollow out a habitat to move astronauts.
Ahhh. There’s what I was looking for. What’s going to hold it in in place after it lands? Because the comet’s gravitational force can’t be very great. I thought of some sort of a screw-in anchoring device that the lander could be lashed to, like one would use to tie out a dog or a horse or something. The “harpoon” idea seems workable.
Thanks.
I think they actually tested a screw anchor but decided against it because it would be hard to screw in in such low gravity.
The harpoon will fire right before touchdown and be reeled in.
Sounds like a plan.
A screw anchor WOULD be difficult in ice, rock, whatever.
Thanks.
Suction cups are always an option but not in a near-vacuum environment. Wondering how super glue cures in space.
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