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
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
A 'selfie' composite image from a camera on the Rosetta mission’s Philae comet lander shows Comet 67P.
ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
Comet 67P on Oct. 28, 2014.
ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
Comet 67P in a photo released on Aug. 6, 2014.
ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
Comet 67P on Sept. 26, 2014.
ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
Comet 67P on Oct. 18, 2014
ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
Comet 67P on Nov. 4, 2014.
ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
Comet 67P on Aug. 3, 2014.
ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
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