Is comet probe doomed? First picture from surface shows Philae has landed on its side in DARKNESS

UK Daily Mail ^ | November 13, 3014 | Jonathan O'Callaghan and Ellie Zolfagharifard and Rachel Reilly and Mark Prigg

[C19fan]

Scientists face a desperate race against time after it was confirmed that the Rosetta probe Philae is stuck on its side on comet 67P with two legs on the ground and one stuck in the air. In a press conference Esa has revealed they aren't quite sure where Philae is on the surface but it is thought to have either fallen into a cave or next to a cliff in darkness based on images returned from the surface. With limited access to sunlight, and only a maximum of 30 hours of charge in its battery, European scientists must now attempt to obtain useful data from the probe before it dies - or find a way to recharge its solar panels and keep Philae alive. The probe landed yesterday at around 3.30pm GMT and bounced twice before it settled in its current location, just over half a mile from its target destination. And Esa said that the probe had access to just 90 minutes of sunlight every 12 hours - which was enough to partially recharge its secondary battery once its primary battery runs out of power in about 30 hours.

[mikrofon]

Roughly the equivalent of hitting a speck of dust with a BB gun from a distance of 10 miles

... while passing by a series of magnets with a varying "wind" along the way.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

... while passing by a series of magnets with a varying "wind" along the way.

While blind folded.