Last Chance To Wake Lost Philae Lander

The European Space Agency is making one last attempt to contact the Philae comet lander before the history-making craft is permanently out of range.

The 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet has been getting further and further from the Sun, which means conditions on the surface are becoming colder and colder. The lander is powered by its solar panels, so once the temperatures reach a certain level, it will be too cold for Philae to operate.

Yesterday, the comet’s team from German Aerospace Centre DLR made one last effort to communicate with the lander. The team sent a command via orbiting mothership Rosetta, asking Philae to turn its momentum wheel on.

Still image from animation of Philae separating from Rosetta and descending to the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in November 2014. (Credit: ESA/ATG medialab)

The momentum wheel ensured that the lander stayed stable as it descended to the surface from Rosetta and the hope is that switching it on can change its position on the comet – if the command is successfully received and carried out.

“Time is running out, so we want to explore all possibilities,” said Stephan Ulamec, Philae lander manager at DLR, in a statement.

“At best, the spacecraft might shake dust from its solar panels and better align itself with the Sun,” explained Philae technical manager Koen Geurts at DLR’s lander control centre.