By NBC News
Updated: | Originally published: ;
After a suspense-packed, seven-hour descent, the European Space Agency’s Philae lander made an unprecedented touchdown on the surface of a comet Wednesday — marking the high point of a $1.3 billion, 10-year mission.
Cheers erupted as the confirming signals were received at from the European Space Operations Center in Darmstadt, Germany, at 11:03 a.m. ET. The signals took 28 minutes to travel at the speed of light over the 317 million miles (510 million km) between Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and Earth.
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.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/philae-comet-67p-rosetta.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Selfie spacecraft and comet](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/rosetta-comet-landing-008.png?w=2400&quality=75)
![The comet on Oct. 28, 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/rosetta-comet-landing-007.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![The comet in a photo released on Aug. 6, 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/rosetta-comet-landing-006.png?w=2400&quality=75)
![The comet on Sept. 26, 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/rosetta-comet-landing-005.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![The comet on Oct. 18, 2014](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/rosetta-comet-landing-004.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![The comet on Nov. 4, 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/rosetta-comet-landing-002.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![The comet on Aug. 3, 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/rosetta-comet-landing-001.png?w=2400&quality=75)
Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News
Read next: See Pictures of Philae Detaching From Rosetta
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