Photo Shows Lander Sitting On Comet After Bounce-Landing

Bill Chappell

The Philae lander beamed back images showing one of its three feet on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko . This photo is compiled from two images; a wider version will be released later Thursday.

ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA

The European Space Agency released a new photo Thursday of the Philae lander safely resting in its new home on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, as it hurtles through space. The agency's data also shows the lander bounced twice before coming to rest.
Wednesday's historic landing came after hours of tension, as the ESA awaited signs from Philae and its parent craft, the orbiter Rosetta, that the robotic lander had arrived on the comet's surface and was able to function.
Even as the ESA's scientists and engineers celebrated their achievement, they also began trying to puzzle out new technical challenges.
NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reports:

"Soon after the lander touched down yesterday, scientists realized they had a problem. A pair of harpoons designed to tether the probe to the surface of the comet never fired.
"The probe weighed more than 200 pounds when it was on Earth, but on the comet, it weighs about as much as a sheet of paper. So with nothing to hold it down, it bounced.
"Data now shows the first bounce took more than two hours. A second bounce lasted just a few minutes.
"The first photo from the surface showed the lander's leg next to a rugged-looking outcropping of rock or ice. It is humanity's first view from the surface of a comet."