Comet Landing

Philae and Rosetta and the Comet

A
  slow
    motion
      descent.
to the surface
    of a comet--
Philae gently landed.

 

The Roseta orbiter,

The Philae lander
--Four billion miles of space travel--
--Ten whole years of space travel—
finally,

    met up

        with the comet,

a slash

CLICK HERE

     of dust

         and ice.

We are on the comet!

The Philae lander

up close and personal
     with a comet. .

Taking

     its temperature,
Sampling
     its dust,
Viewing
     its inky black landscape.

 

© 2014 Catherine Giordano

On November 13, 2014 The Philae lander separated from the Rosetta lander and after 10 years in space it made a near flawless landing on a comet.  It began sending back information about the comet. 

Unfortunately, the harpoons that were supposed to stick the lander to the comet failed to deploy, and the comet began to bounce.  Its third bounce wedged it into a crevice where it could not get enough sunlight to charge its batteries. 

 Philae is silent now, but if it should happen to feel the sun on its face once again, it may awaken to send back more data.