They only bloody did it... (ESA content)

Post by **Shug** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 5:43 pm

Yep, managed to land a device the size of a washing machine on a Comet 300 million miles away.

Incredible. Just incredible.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30026398

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 5:54 pm

Latest update: Comet won't take back washing-machine-sized device without a receipt.

Incredible achievement. I feel very small today.

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 6:09 pm

Impressive stuff! Hats off to them.

robin · Post by **robin** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 8:42 pm

I am in awe! I love the images ... and the fact that the comet is shaped liked a rubber duck

Post by **pete** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:34 pm

graeme wrote:Latest update: Comet won't take back washing-machine-sized device without a receipt.

Incredible achievement. I feel very small today.

Man and dog from Wigan sent to retrieve washing machine shaped object.

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:52 pm

Freaky deaky.

https://soundcloud.com/esaops/a-singing-comet

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:39 pm

Sanjoy wrote:Freaky deaky.

https://soundcloud.com/esaops/a-singing-comet

Thought as space is a vacuum there was no sound, unless of course its a long screwdriver placed against comet to hear the tappets.

Ferg · Post by **Ferg** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 12:19 am

Fantastic. I hope it finally stuck its landing when they hear from it again.

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:13 am

Thought as space is a vacuum there was no sound, unless of course its a long screwdriver placed against comet to hear the tappets.

In space, no one can hear you scream. Obvs.

tut · Post by **tut** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:13 am

Even more so when you look at the stats.

Planning started 20 years ago, launched 10 years ago so out of date electronics, and when they launched the lander it had no guidance on board, so had a seven hour journey on a fixed trajectory to hit a small area and miss house sized rocks. All controlled from signals being sent from 300M miles away.

Seems that it is now sending back pics. Amazing achievement and done on a budget.

tut

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:29 am

Rosetta's journey is what blows my mind. It wasn't a 300 million mile straight line to get there. There was no way to launch Rosetta directly onto a course that would meet with the comet, so multiple gravity-assist slingshot orbits were needed around Earth, then Mars, then round Earth again, then pinged off for 5 years of sleep to meet up exactly where 67P would be. That's just amazing. Total journey distance:

4 billion miles

Post by **pete** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 11:58 am

graeme wrote:Rosetta's journey is what blows my mind. It wasn't a 300 million mile straight line to get there. There was no way to launch Rosetta directly onto a course that would meet with the comet, so multiple gravity-assist slingshot orbits were needed around Earth, then Mars, then round Earth again, then pinged off for 5 years of sleep to meet up exactly where 67P would be. That's just amazing. Total journey distance:

4 billion miles

Just amazing. The sheer scale of the ambition that sets out to achieve that.

Post by **Shug** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:29 pm

Saw this - had to share

scott_e · Post by **scott_e** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:45 pm

Kerbal Space Program springs to mind.
Silly game but amazing if you are interested in anything related to space and really opened my eyes about difficulties I had never even considered !
Took me a month to Land on the moon , never mind trying for an asteroid.
Massive respect to the real world science community.

tut · Post by **tut** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:58 pm

Would be interested to know in the above diagram how many of the manoeuvres were programmed in and unable to be changed, and which were transmitted to make corrections or fire thrusters.

tut

Scottish Elises

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