The European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission will deploy its lander Philae on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 12 November.
After conducting an unprecedented scientific analysis of the comet, the landing site, currently known as Site J, was selected just six weeks after Rosetta arrived at the comet, following its 10-year journey through the solar system.
Philae’s landing site is located on the smaller of the comet’s two ‘lobes,’ with a backup site on the larger lobe, and was chosen unanimously over four other candidate sites after surveying the comet in order to prepare for the first ever attempt to soft-land on a comet.
This site also receives sufficient daily illumination to recharge Philae and continue surface science operations beyond the initial 64-hour battery-powered phase.
However, the final confirmation of the primary landing site and its landing scenario will be made on 14 October after a formal Lander Operations Readiness Review.
The Rosetta orbiter will continue to study the comet and its environment using its 11 science instruments as they orbit the Sun together. (ANI)