The Providence (R.I.) Journal, Nov. 17
Our world has witnessed many important moments in space exploration: the unmanned flight of Sputnik I, in 1957; Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, in 1969; and the initial launch of the space shuttle Columbia, in 1981.
We can now add another moment to this list: the first probe to land on a comet.
Philae, the European Space Agency landing vehicle that has accompanied the Rosetta spacecraft for 10 years, landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
The 220-pound robotic probe currently sits on a comet that was moving at a reported 34,000 mph.
According to some reports, the distance between the mother ship and the comet was 14 miles. Philae had to land on the fast-moving Comet 67P, which is jagged and only 2.4 miles wide, and has a very weak gravity. This was no mean feat.
Indeed, Philae may have bounced on the surface rather than settling, and its anchoring harpoons, designed to shoot into the comet, failed to fire. So Philae may not be secure. Still, the achievement of landing a vehicle on a hurtling comet is extraordinary.
What’s the main purpose of this mission? It’s to find out whether comets, formed billions of years ago, can explain more about our universe and the creation of life on Earth.
As chief scientist Chris Taylor told Sky News, “This particular class of comet, Jupiter class comets, showed a similar flavor of water to what we see on Earth.” Hence, his theory is that “possibly comets could have delivered the Earth’s oceans, so water ”“ and ultimately us, because we are made of water.”
This could be a very exciting development. According to scientists, homo sapiens have probably roamed the Earth for only between 5 million and 8 million years. As the human race has evolved and developed, we’ve never completely understood why our universe exists ”“ and, with the exception of the Big Bang theory, how it came into existence.
If Comet 67P ultimately provides us with a small window to better understand the existence of water and organisms, this would be a huge accomplishment.
For now, the scientific community is rightfully celebrating this great moment in space exploration. So, too, should the rest of humanity.
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