Officials within the European Space Agency say a small probe is definitely resting on the surface of a distant comet after a rough and uncertain landing.
European Space Probe Safely on Comet After Bumpy Landing
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This OSIRIS wide-angle camera image shows the position of Rosetta’s lander Philae (circled) on Nov. 12, 2014. (Courtesy: European Space Agency, photo released Nov. 13, 2014)
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Rosetta’s lander Philae is safely on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, as these first two CIVA images confirm. One of the lander’s three feet can be seen in the foreground. The image is a two-image mosaic, Nov. 13, 2014. (Courtesy: European Space Agency, photo released Nov. 13, 2014)
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Smiles in the Main Control Room at ESA's Operations Center, as separation of the Philae lander from ESA Rosetta orbiter is confirmed and the Philae lander on its way to becoming the first spacecraft to touch down on a comet, Nov. 12, 2014. (Courtesy: Euro
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A handout photo released on November 13, 2014 by the European Space Agency, and taken by the Rosetta Lander Imaging System instrument, shows the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during Philae's descent, from a distance of approximately 40 meters above the surface. (Courtesy: European Space Agency)