The lander Philae interplanetary Rosetta probe of the European Space Agency (ESA), which settled on the surface of the comet 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko may soon cease to function because of a low battery – said the representative of the ESA.
According to the engineers ESA , the battery may be exhausted early on Saturday because the lander is most of the time in the shadow of high-rise on the surface of the comet’s nucleus. Therefore, the solar cells do not get enough energy from the sun and the battery is running low.
In this situation, the mission leadership decided to accelerate the research program and on Friday launched an instrument equipped with a drill that has samples of matter, the which consists of a comet. The samples are to be analyzed in a miniature laboratory located in the lander.
Participation in the construction of this instrument are Poles. Included in the system MUPUS device, developed by scientists from the Centre for Space Research, is to knock the surface of the comet’s nucleus to examine, inter alia, its temperature.
Using a drill with the risk of destabilizing the lander , and even tipping him as it remains in unstable equilibrium on the surface practically devoid of gravity comet. The situation is further complicated by the fact that you did not run two harpoons, which were affixed to the surface of a comet lander – which triggered fears that the camera distance in open space.
ESA / Rosetta / MPS for OSIRISTeamMPS / UPD / LAM / IAA / SSO / INTA / UPM / DASP / IDA / Handout, Reuters
The lander Philae
Nonetheless, the mission found that the risk is worth taking because the lander may soon cease to function at all. According to the data received telemetry drill slid to 25 from the base of the lander. But just then the parent sampler Rosetta orbiting comets and for transmitting information from the lander to Earth, hid behind the horizon and communication with the lander broke off. It is to be resumed in the night from Friday to Saturday.
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