Philae lander

Philae lander
ESA/ATG medialab · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Philae lander
Mission type	Lander
Operator	European Space Agency
Website	Rosetta (spacecraft)

Philae lander is a robotic spacecraft that was part of the European Space Agency's Rosetta (spacecraft) mission, which was launched in 2004 to study Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The lander was designed and built by a consortium of European Space Agency member states, led by Germany's German Aerospace Center and France's CNES. The Philae lander was named after the Philae Island in the Nile River, where an Obelisk of Philae was discovered with a Greek inscription that helped Jean-François Champollion decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphs. The lander's mission was to gather data on the composition and properties of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's surface and subsurface, and to search for signs of life and organic molecules.

Introduction

The Philae lander was designed to be a small, autonomous spacecraft that could separate from the Rosetta (spacecraft) orbiter and land on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The lander was equipped with a range of scientific instruments, including a Comet Acoustic Surface Sounding Experiment (CASSE), a Multi-Purpose Sensors for Surface and Sub-Surface Science (MUPUS), and a Rosetta Lander Consortium (ROLIS) camera. The Philae lander was also equipped with a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to provide power, and a telecommunication system to communicate with the Rosetta (spacecraft) orbiter and the European Space Agency's European Space Operations Centre. The lander's mission was supported by a team of scientists and engineers from the European Space Agency, NASA, and other international partners, including the Canadian Space Agency, the German Aerospace Center, and the CNES.

Design and Construction

The Philae lander was designed and built by a consortium of European Space Agency member states, led by Germany's German Aerospace Center and France's CNES. The lander's design was influenced by the Huygens (spacecraft), which was part of the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and its moon Titan (moon). The Philae lander was constructed using a range of materials, including aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber, and was equipped with a range of scientific instruments and systems, including a laser altimeter, a seismometer, and a magnetometer. The lander's design and construction were also influenced by the Vega (rocket), which was used to launch the Rosetta (spacecraft) mission, and the Ariane (rocket), which was used to launch the Huygens (spacecraft).

Mission Overview

The Rosetta (spacecraft) mission, which included the Philae lander, was launched in 2004 by an Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. The mission's primary objective was to study Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in detail, including its composition, shape, and behavior. The Rosetta (spacecraft) orbiter was equipped with a range of scientific instruments, including a camera, a spectrometer, and a plasma analyzer, and was designed to study the comet's surface and atmosphere in detail. The Philae lander was designed to provide a complementary perspective on the comet's surface and subsurface, and to gather data on the comet's composition and properties. The mission was supported by a team of scientists and engineers from the European Space Agency, NASA, and other international partners, including the Canadian Space Agency, the German Aerospace Center, and the CNES.

Landing and Operations

The Philae lander landed on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12, 2014, after a 10-year journey through space. The lander's descent was controlled by a computer system, which used a range of sensors and instruments to navigate the lander to the comet's surface. The lander's landing site was chosen based on data from the Rosetta (spacecraft) orbiter, which had been studying the comet's surface and atmosphere in detail. The Philae lander operated for several days after landing, gathering data on the comet's surface and subsurface using its range of scientific instruments. The lander's operations were supported by a team of scientists and engineers from the European Space Agency, NASA, and other international partners, including the Canadian Space Agency, the German Aerospace Center, and the CNES.

Scientific Discoveries

The Philae lander made several significant scientific discoveries during its mission, including the detection of water ice and organic molecules on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The lander's instruments also gathered data on the comet's composition, shape, and behavior, including its magnetic field and atmosphere. The Philae lander's discoveries were supported by data from the Rosetta (spacecraft) orbiter, which provided a complementary perspective on the comet's surface and atmosphere. The mission's scientific discoveries were published in a range of scientific journals, including Nature (journal), Science (journal), and the Journal of Geophysical Research. The Philae lander's mission was also supported by scientists and engineers from the University of California, Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Oxford.

Legacy and Impact

The Philae lander's mission has had a significant impact on our understanding of comets and the solar system. The lander's discoveries have provided new insights into the composition and properties of comets, and have helped scientists to better understand the role of comets in the formation and evolution of the solar system. The Philae lander's mission has also demonstrated the feasibility of landing a spacecraft on a comet's surface, and has paved the way for future missions to comets and other small bodies in the solar system. The Philae lander's legacy is recognized by the European Space Agency, NASA, and other international partners, including the Canadian Space Agency, the German Aerospace Center, and the CNES. The lander's mission is also commemorated by the Philae Island in the Nile River, which was the inspiration for the lander's name. The Philae lander's story is also told at the European Astronaut Centre, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Category:Space exploration