DARMSTADT, GERMANY — So far, it is go for launch of the Philae lander to the core of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12. If all goes as planned, this historic first cometary touchdown will give scientists a front row seat to see exactly what happens to these icy boulders as they near the sun.
But getting the minifridge-sized Philae lander to the surface of 67P is not a simple task, said Andrea Accomazzo, the European Space Agency’s spacecraft operations manager, in a November 10 press conference. Hitting the selected sweet spot on the comet requires scientists to program the Rosetta spacecraft, orbiting 67P, to push Philae from its back end at exactly the right time and with just enough (but not too much) oomph. Slight miscalculations or poor positioning could be catastrophic for the lander, sending it careening into a boulder or worse.