Rosetta's space mission Philae makes 'historic touchdown' on comet

European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft has successfully landed its Philae probe on a comet, it has been revealed.

The confirmation was relayed via the Rosetta orbiter to Earth and picked up simultaneously by ESA's ground station in Malargue, Argentina, and NASA's station in Madrid, Spain.

Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA's Director General, said that their ambitious Rosetta mission had secured a place in the history books and this was not only the first to rendezvous with and orbit a comet, but it was now also the first to deliver a lander to a comet's surface.

Sylvain Lodiot, ESA Rosetta Spacecraft Operations Manager, said that one of the greatest uncertainties associated with the delivery of the lander was the position of Rosetta at the time of deployment, which was influenced by the activity of the comet at that specific moment, and which in turn could also have affected the lander's descent trajectory.

Over the next 2.5 days, the lander will conduct its primary science mission, assuming that its main battery remains in good health. An extended science phase using the rechargeable secondary battery may be possible, assuming Sun illumination conditions allow and dust settling on the solar panels does not prevent it.

Rosetta was launched on 2nd March 2004 and travelled 6.4 billion kilometers through the solar system before arriving at the comet on 6 August 2014.