With this achievement, a comet is no longer a mysterious and sometimes frightening spray of light across the night sky, but another member of the solar system to be explored, like the moon and Mars. The technology of landing on a comet, with its wisps
6 Comet 67P/C-G is shaped like a duck, with two lobes separated by a neck. In this image, the comet's head is at center, with the neck in shadow and body in the background. Philae's intended landing site, named Agilkia, is a relatively flat area on the
With this achievement, a comet is no longer a mysterious and sometimes frightening spray of light across the night sky, but another member of the solar system to be explored, like the moon and Mars. The technology of landing on a comet, with its wisps
European Space Agency scientists and executives high-fived and hugged each other when the landing was confirmed. Spacecraft have crashed into comets before, but this is the first soft, or controlled landing, in history. Later, ESA said there was a glitch.
Humans have never landed anything on a comet's surface. That may change tomorrow. The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission is poised to send out a small probe to land on a comet known as