IT HAS BEEN ASLEEP FOR 3 YEARS
Philae has been asleep since 2011. But amazingly, it has remained in motion while in deep sleep in an extremely cold environment. It will have to wake up soon to perform a very important and difficult task. Can you guess what Philae is?
Philae is a robot lab. It will attempt to be the first-ever spacecraft to land on a comet. Carried by the Rosetta spacecraft, 100-kilogram Philae has been hibernating to save energy for this important mission. The European Space Agency will wake Philae up on March 28, 2014, weeks ahead of its landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
An artist's impression of Rosetta's lander Philae (back view) on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Image credit: AFP PHOTO / ESA MEDIALAB
What is Philae supposed to do on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko?
Philae carries equipment that will explore and analyse the comet's surface to find out what it is made of. Cameras on Philae will send back images of the surface, and other equipment will analyze the soil taken from deep inside the comet.
Why do scientists want to find out what the comet is made of?
Scientists believe comets may contain ice and dust from a long time ago. They may even give us clues as to how the Solar System was formed 4.5 billion years ago. Comets may have brought much of the water in our oceans and possibly the very molecules that started life on Earth.
An artist's impression of Rosetta's lander Philae (front view) on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Image credit: AFP PHOTO / ESA MEDIALAB
How will Philae land on the comet?
By November, Rosetta will try to move to within two to three kilometres of the comet to deliver Philae. Philae will touch down on its three legs, fire two harpoons into the surface to hang on for dear life, and then further secure itself with ice screws before starting its work.
Featured image: An artist's impression of the Rosetta orbiter at comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko. Image credit: AFP PHOTO / ESA MEDIALAB - C. CARREAU
