“We’re now at a distance of between 325 km and 340 km this week, in a region where Rosetta’s startrackers can operate without being confused by excessive dust levels – without them working properly, Rosetta can’t position itself in space”, said Sylvain Lodiot, ESA’s spacecraft operations manager.
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Nicola Altobelli, acting Rosetta Project scientist said that It’s really a fantastic milestone that has been achieved by Rosetta during a online presentation marking the occasion.
But with the 100kg washing-machine measurement lander having been silent for over a month now, these plans have been revised.
Experts, however, sounded a hopeful note that the lander could wake up again and transmit scientific data as well as images from the surface of the comet to Rosetta.
Scientists have also observed powerful gas jets, though Cozzoni said it was unlikely that Philae could be pushed off into space by a jet. On Thursday, Rosetta captured a burst of dust and vapor blasted off from the comet as it made its closest approach to the sun in orbit, The Guardian reports.
Scientists hope that samples from the surface of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko will help show how planets and life are created as the rock and ice that make up comets preserve organic molecules like a time capsule. The latest images from Rosetta show the comet making its closest approach to the Sun, and they’re attractive.
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If so, it will disgorge some of these pristine particles left from the solar system’s birth about 4.6 billion years ago. “We have to find something to do in a shorter duration”. “We are working hard to get some science from Philae”, Cozzoni added.
