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                 European Probe to Attempt Risky Comet Landing

   by VOA News

   A robotic probe from a European spacecraft is making its way toward a
   distant comet, where scientists hope it will land and make history.

   The European Space Agency said the Philae probe has separated from the
   Rosetta spacecraft -- the first step in its seven-hour journey to the
   comet.

   Rosetta has been orbiting Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko -- six
   billion kilometers from Earth -- since August.  It arrived after a 10
   year trip from Earth.

   Comets are remnants of the formation of the 4.6-billion-year-old solar
   system. Scientists believe they may have brought much of the water in
   today's oceans.

   A problem with the thruster that was supposed to keep the probe from
   bouncing back into space means it may have to rely on its harpoons to
   anchor to the comet's surface.
   "There were various problems with the preparation activities overnight
   but we have decided to go. Rosetta is lined up for separation,'' Paolo
   Ferri, ESA's head of mission operations, said before the launch.
   The team had to release the three-legged lander at exactly the right
   time and speed because there is no way of controlling it on its
   descent.
   After a period out of radio contact, mission control linked back up
   with both Rosetta and Philae as expected shortly after 1100 GMT, the
   ESA said.
   The probe is expected to touch down at around 1530 GMT and confirmation
   of the landing is expected some 30 minutes later.
    Engineers designed the lander not knowing what type of terrain they
   would find on the comet's surface. Rosetta has been taking pictures of
   the comet and collecting samples from its atmosphere as it approaches
   the sun, showing it is not as smooth as initially hoped, making landing
   tricky.

   If successful, the mission would be the first landing of its kind and
   could give scientists new insights into the origins of the solar
   system.
   [Some material for this report came from Reuters]
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   -landing-/2516963.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/european-probe-to-attempt-risky-comet-landing-/2516963.html