Stable contact lasted 12 minutes before failing and was a boost to the lander team’s mood after attempting to contact Philae since July 5.
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Ground teams had sent commands to Philae that it switch on its CONSERT instrument, the Comet Nucleus Sounding Experiment by Radio Wave Transmission, which is designed to take soundings of the comet interior to derive its composition. Restrictions on the orbiter’s approach to and orbit around the comet have not permitted regular communication with the lander. The lander was ready to perform its tasks, 300 million kilometres away from Earth. The comet rotation is 12.4 hours, allowing contact with Earth twice per day through Rosetta and can only happen when there is enough solar light to generate power to Philae’s solar panels.
BERLIN European medical scientists attained data from the originial and lately wakened comet lander Philae on Thursday night time, a good start into the team as they simply make an attempt to begin a protect choice of interactions for their own all time technical investigations on the comet.
Communications specialists on the team at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will now be looking closely at the details of how Philae reported in and the nature of its signals to see if that can help them improve the situation further.
“This sign of life from Philae proves to us that at least one of the lander’s communication units remains operational and receives our commands”, said Koen Geurts, a member of the lander control team at the DLR in Cologne. He added: “We never gave up on Philae and remained optimistic”.
The Philae lander has officially gotten back in touch with Rosetta-and Earth-after almost two weeks of silence.
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Scientists were joyous in June when the comet lander awoke from seven months of hibernation, but they have been unable to explain why Philae is not communicating more regularly.
