Euro scientists make space history

Successfully land probe on a comet after 10-year mission

• Probe separated from the Rosetta spacecraft seven hours earlier
• 'It's a big step for human civilisation,' said Esa director general
• First image by Philae showed Rosetta 50 seconds after separation
• Scientists were worried thruster problem would scupper the landing
• The cold gas thruster on top of the lander was not working properly

London: Rosetta's probe, Philae, has successfully landed on its comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

After a daring seven-hour descent, the probe has made space history by becoming the first ever craft to land on a comet.

In an emotional speech, Esa director general Jean-Jacques Dordain said: 'It's a big step for human civilisation.'
Scientists hope data from the probe will help reveal how the solar system was first created 4.5 billion years ago.

The confirmation of the landing was relayed via Rosetta to Earth and picked up simultaneously by a ground station in Malargüe, Argentina and Madrid, Spain, before being confirmed in Darmstadt.

'Esa and its Rosetta mission partners achieved something extraordinary today,' said Dordain.

'Our ambitious Rosetta mission has secured another place in the history books: not only is it the first to rendezvous with and orbit a comet, but it is now also the first to deliver a probe to a comet's surface.'

While the lander has touched down on the comet using its harpoons, scientists said that it had not yet deployed its anchors which meant that it was not completely attached to the surface.

The surface was much softer than they expected, so there were some concerns that it was not securely fixed on the comet – although from a software point of view things seemed to be fine.

Engineers will attempt to fire the anchors again soon in order to keep Philae attached to the surface of the comet.

'After more than 10 years travelling through space, we're now making the best ever scientific analysis of one of the oldest remnants of our solar system,' added Alvaro Giménez, Esa's director of Science and Robotic Exploration.

'Decades of preparation have paved the way for today's success, ensuring that Rosetta continues to be a game-changer in cometary science and space exploration.'

Rosetta has chased comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko through space for more than ten years in what has been described as 'the sexiest, most fantastic mission ever'. Speaking live on TV, Matt Taylor, project scientist of Rosetta, talked about the complexities of the mission.

'I said she was sexy but I never said she was easy,' he said, describing the earlier thruster issues.

After a four billion mile (6.5 billion km) journey, the probe this morning successfully released Philae from its grip to land on the comet.

We are extremely relieved to be safely on the surface of the comet, especially given the extra challenge of the comet's unusual shape and unexpectedly hazardous surface,' said Stephan Ulamec, Philae Lander Manager at the DLR German Aerospace Center.

'In the next hours we'll learn exactly where and how we've landed, and we'll start getting as much science as we can from the surface of this fascinating world.'

Engineers were forced to endure a tense wait to discover whether the lander successfully grabbed onto the comet at 3.30pm GMT.

Ahead of the landing, Rosetta captured several images of Philae during its daring mission using its Osiris camera.

One stunning shot shows the lander's antennae deployed, along with all three lander feet and the Rolis descent camera boom that took the photograph of Rosetta.

Immediately after the image was released, Philae tweeted: 'It's me…landing on a comet and feeling good!'.