Rosetta spots Philae lander on surface of comet 67P

Philae has been found, nestled in a shadowy crevice on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The comet lander, lost since its tumultuous touch down on the comet on November 12, 2014, turned up in images taken by the Rosetta orbiter on September 2. Philae is on its side with one leg sticking out into sunlight. Its cockeyed posture most likely made it difficult for Philae to reliably get in touch with Rosetta, which explains why mission scientists had trouble re-establishing communication. The discovery comes about one month before the end of the Rosetta mission; the orbiter is scheduled to land on the comet on September 30 and then shut down.

Philae spent just a few days transmitting data from the surface of the comet. Its landing was rough, bouncing twice before stopping. Sitting in the shadow of a cliff, Philae was unable to use solar power to recharge its battery. Rosetta picked up intermittent communication in June and July 2015. Since January, temperatures on the comet have been too chilly for Philae’s electronics; mission scientists stopped listening for radio signals from the lander in July.