So who is watching Philae?

[rwatts]

"More analysis of @Philae2014 telemetry indicates harpoons did not fire as 1st thought. Lander in gr8 shape. Team looking at refire options."

Well I staggered out of bed at around 2:30 for the usual nightly trip. Went back to bed and tossed and turned for a bit, but had to get up and see what had happened, if anything. I was just it time to see the final confirmation come through, that it had landed. Sleep came more easily after that.

[firstfloor]

"More analysis of @Philae2014 telemetry indicates harpoons did not fire as 1st thought. Lander in gr8 shape. Team looking at refire options."

[Sparko]

Time to make comet snowcones.

[The Pixie]

Just landed.

[firstfloor]

"The cold gas thruster on top of the lander does not appear to be working so we will have to rely fully on the harpoons at touchdown,” says Stephan Ulamec, Philae Lander Manager at the DLR German Aerospace Center. “We’ll need some luck not to land on a boulder or a steep slope.”
http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/54930-ros...or-separation/

[Cow Poke]

Touchdown?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/12/world/...own/index.html

[rwatts]

I think that will be about 2am my time. A bit to late or a bit too early to crack open a beer to celebrate.

[firstfloor]

Perhaps the moderator would like to merge the two threads – see Rosetta comet landing.

[Kelp(p)]

[The Pixie]

I'm worried that it might hit the comet and bounce off.

And wouldn't it be funny if it succesfully landed and the first organics it found were a bacterium or a virus.

(At the time of writing I think the decision to separate is still some time away)

I was curious what they have to detect such things, and came across this article about the COSEC:

http://www.researchgate.net/publicat...a8d260bf000000

Fairly technical, but as I use GC-MS at work, I found it fascinating. Sounds like it can handle molecular weights up to around 1500. It will be very interesting to see what it finds.

[firstfloor]

The Philae lander is on its way to the surface of comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. About 7 hours until touchdown.

[firstfloor]

Rosetta comet landing

http://www.theguardian.com/science/a...ding-live-blog
and news at many other sites.

[rwatts]

I am just waiting.

Yes.

I wish they would release the darn thing, but as you say, one just has to wait.

[Jedidiah]

I am just waiting.

[rwatts]

I'm worried that it might hit the comet and bounce off.

And wouldn't it be funny if it succesfully landed and the first organics it found were a bacterium or a virus.

(At the time of writing I think the decision to separate is still some time away)