Comet Probe Landed Successfully, Scientists Say

2 minute read

The European Space Agency’s Philae lander successfully landed on a comet and is sending signals backs after an early mishap, scientists said at a news conference in Germany Thursday.

The lander, dropped from the Rosetta spacecraft on Wednesday after a 4-billion mile, 10-year journey, became the first craft to make a soft landing on a comet.

But the lander initially failed to fire anchoring harpoons into the surface of the comet, which has very weak gravity, and it bounced three times before coming to an awkward stop in a still undetermined area of the comet, said Stephan Ulamec, the lander project manager.

Some instruments are up and running, but the scientists are wary of activating others because the lander is not anchored into the ground and risks rising up again, Ulamec said. Only two of the craft’s three feet are touching the ground.

Based on images relayed back, the scientists believe that the lander is partially in a shadow of a cliff, reducing the amount of solar energy that the lander can collect.

“We are in a shadow permanently, and that’s part of our problem,” said Jean-Pierre Bibring, the lead lander scientist.

See the Rosetta Spacecraft's Best Photos of Comet 67P

ROLIS's (Rosetta Lander Imaging System) first photo of Comet 67P, taken as Philae lander approached its touchdown on the comet's surface.
This image shows comet 67P/CG and was acquired by the ROLIS instrument on the Philae lander during descent on Nov. 12, 2014, 14:38:41 UT from a distance of approximately 3 km from the surface.ESA/Rosetta/Philae/ROLIS/DLR/H
Selfie spacecraft and comet
A 'selfie' composite image from a camera on the Rosetta mission’s Philae comet lander shows Comet 67P.ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
The comet on Oct. 28, 2014.
Comet 67P on Oct. 28, 2014.ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
The comet in a photo released on Aug. 6, 2014.
Comet 67P in a photo released on Aug. 6, 2014.ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
The comet on Sept. 26, 2014.
Comet 67P on Sept. 26, 2014.ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
The comet on Oct. 18, 2014
Comet 67P on Oct. 18, 2014ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
The comet on Nov. 4, 2014.
Comet 67P on Nov. 4, 2014.ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
The comet on Aug. 3, 2014.
Comet 67P on Aug. 3, 2014.ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM

More Must-Reads from TIME

Write to Noah Rayman at noah.rayman@time.com