# Landed  a probe on a comet



## Davey Jones (Nov 12, 2014)

Somehow I fail to believe this actually happened,am I the only one?


http://news.sky.com/story/1372011/rosetta-probe-touches-down-on-speeding-comet


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## Falcon (Nov 12, 2014)

Davey, They said they were gonna land on the moon and they did it.

Ya gotta have faith.


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## Warrigal (Nov 12, 2014)

There are probably many who do not believe it, but I am not one of them.
This is a spectacular achievement by the scientists and technicians.
I congratulate them all. :clap:


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## AprilT (Nov 12, 2014)

True or not, I believe they are capable of much and in the field of science and tech people can make most anything, (not everything, but more than we once could ever fathom,)  happen if they want to.  The possibilities are endless and it's always a wonder and amazement of what people are able to make using their brains.  And speaking of brains, I don't have the cells left over after receiving too much drugs this week to even take the time to dig further to decide on what the facts of the article is, but, I'm in no way saying it's not something that has happened.


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## Shirley (Nov 12, 2014)

I'm on pins and noodles to find out what they discover. Fascinating!


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## AprilT (Nov 12, 2014)

Shirley said:


> I'm on pins and noodles to find out what they discover. Fascinating!



Just saw it on the news, that's one big probe.  Ouch.


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## Falcon (Nov 12, 2014)

Imagine, going 34,000 m.p.h. Where are the space cops ?

 911....sic 'em !


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## Laurie (Nov 13, 2014)

A fantastic achievement, even if the anchors did fail to hold, and our stupid Prime Minister thinks all this is bad for Britain and we should leave Trope and go it alone.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 13, 2014)

Dame Warrigal said:


> There are probably many who do not believe it, but I am not one of them.
> This is a spectacular achievement by the scientists and technicians.
> I congratulate them all. :clap:



Ditto!!


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## Ameriscot (Nov 13, 2014)

Laurie said:


> A fantastic achievement, even if the anchors did fail to hold, and our stupid Prime Minister thinks all this is bad for Britain and we should leave Trope and go it alone.



It is so incredibly self-destructive and stupid to even entertain the idea of leaving the EU!


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## Ralphy1 (Nov 13, 2014)

Trying to upstage NASA, very cheeky...


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## Warrigal (Nov 13, 2014)

Laurie said:


> A fantastic achievement, even if the anchors did fail to hold, and our stupid Prime Minister thinks all this is bad for Britain and we should leave Trope and go it alone.



Actually, they didn't fail. It landed on soft sediment and this did not trigger the firing, but they may fire them manually later if necessary.
At least that is what I heard earlier today.


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## Ralphy1 (Nov 13, 2014)

If we didn't do it I don't care...


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## Warrigal (Nov 13, 2014)

You didn't do it and I don't care either.
No applause for you.


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## Ralphy1 (Nov 13, 2014)

Don't get cheeky with us or you won't be invited to enjoy Mars when we colonize it...


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## JustBonee (Nov 13, 2014)

Dame Warrigal said:


> There are probably many who do not believe it, but I am not one of them.
> This is a spectacular achievement by the scientists and technicians.
> I congratulate them all. :clap:



I join you in that sentiment Warri.  Great achievement.


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## Justme (Nov 13, 2014)

My husband and I were thrilled by this FANTASTIC achievement, especially as his best friend retired last year from ESA, he was in charge of the battery section in the Netherlands.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 13, 2014)

It's a conspiracy! It's a* conspiracy!!!! 
*
The Rothschilds are behind it! It never really happened! It was filmed on a Pixar movie stage! It was ... it was ...

... wait - what are we talking about again?


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## Davey Jones (Nov 13, 2014)

Falcon said:


> Davey, They said they were gonna land on the moon and they did it.
> 
> Ya gotta have faith.



This one went 4 billion miles the moon is only 238,900.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 13, 2014)

I'm fascinated by the fact that the comet is making a sound.  No one knows what it is or where it's coming from.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...s-recorded-near-67P-ahead-Philae-landing.html


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## oakapple (Nov 13, 2014)

A fantastic job by all concerned.
Why should anyone not believe it happened???
Though I did advise them not to shop at Poundland for the anchor legs[6 for  £1 , a great bargain, but still....]


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## Warrigal (Nov 13, 2014)

Ralphy1 said:
			
		

> Don't get cheeky with us or you won't be invited to enjoy Mars when we colonize it...


I'm not interested in visiting your home planet, Ralphy.
I come from Venus.


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## Shirley (Nov 13, 2014)

Doesn't the US put music on all it's space explorers? It's the universal language. Maybe there's a message in the music sent from the beginning of time.


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## Ralphy1 (Nov 14, 2014)

Yes, the King will be on Mars...


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## Davey Jones (Nov 15, 2014)

$1.6 Billion  and the batteries go dead due to lack of sunlight.

And this effort was worth it?


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## Warrigal (Nov 15, 2014)

80% of their target investigations is better than none at all.
It was always a long shot, in reality as well as metaphorically.


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## Twixie (Nov 15, 2014)

Wow..something we did without America claiming the credit??


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## Ameriscot (Nov 15, 2014)

Twixie said:


> Wow..something we did without America claiming the credit??



Yea, amazing isn't it?    A first for everything!


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## Laurie (Nov 15, 2014)

Twixie said:


> Wow..something we did without America claiming the credit??



I wouldn't crow too much.

I imagine a large amount of freely available NASA data, paid for by the American taxpayer, was used in this project.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 15, 2014)

> *Who are the Rosetta mission contractors?*
> Rosetta’s industrial  team involves more than 50 contractors from 14 European countries and  the United States. The prime spacecraft contractor – the company leading  the entire industrial team – is Astrium Germany. Major subcontractors  are Astrium UK (spacecraft platform), Astrium France (spacecraft  avionics) and Alenia Spazio (assembly, integration and verification).
> 
> 
> ...


ESA.int


It's a multinational endeavor.


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## Meanderer (Nov 15, 2014)

Justme said:


> My husband and I were thrilled by this FANTASTIC achievement, especially as his best friend retired last year from ESA, he was in charge of the battery section in the Netherlands.


...and the batteries went dead?


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## SifuPhil (Nov 15, 2014)

Meanderer said:


> ...and the batteries went dead?


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## Davey Jones (Nov 15, 2014)

Meanderer said:


> ...and the batteries went dead?



The batteries require sunlight to recharge,from what I understand it need about 8 hours te recharge but was only getting 1.5 hrs of sunlight.


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## oakapple (Nov 16, 2014)

Wouldn't you know it, it landed in a dark bit of the comet, instead of a sunny one.Getting something onto a  moving object like a comet is amazing in itself though. As SifuPhil says, it was a multinational effort , although European, had input  and help from the US as well. Please  let's stop all this stuff about  the USA, it's silly and unpleasant.We are all friends on here, or why be on here at all?


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## oakapple (Nov 16, 2014)

SifuPhil said:


> View attachment 11112


 It's a pink bunny conspiracy!


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## SifuPhil (Nov 16, 2014)

oakapple said:


> It's a pink bunny conspiracy!



He's suspected of being the mastermind behind a lot of battery charges ...


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## Ralphy1 (Nov 17, 2014)

Amateurs...


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## SifuPhil (Nov 17, 2014)

The lead technician for ESA is seen here during final inspection of the  Rosetta spacecraft:


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## oakapple (Nov 17, 2014)

Nobody should worry about what country/countries managed to achieve this amazing feat; mankind did it, and that's what matters.Hopefully the analysis of what has already been drilled from the comet, will supply some answers. Space exploration is really in it's infancy, it makes you wonder what they will be able to do in a few hundred years.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 17, 2014)

oakapple said:


> ... mankind did it, and that's what matters ...



While I agree with the meat of your post I can't help but recall when I was in school and forced to work on a science project with three other kids.

*I *did all the work, but *we* all shared the rewards.

I can't help but wonder what role, say, Tonga or Libya played in this venture. ALL of mankind? No ... just the 1st world countries, and few enough at that.


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## Twixie (Nov 17, 2014)

No..America didn't do it..

It was Europe...


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## SifuPhil (Nov 17, 2014)

There are 20 countries listed for membership in ESA, and Canada is an associate member. I believe about 14 of those countries contributed directly on the project.

In addition, there were contributions from JPL, Southwest Research Institute and CONSERT - all U.S. firms - in addition to several planetary scientists also from the U.S.


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## oakapple (Nov 17, 2014)

Splitting hairs Phil! I didn't say it was all of mankind, as I believe the tribes of Borneo had very little input.However, it was a range of countries coming together to do this, and I find it hard to understand why some on this forum either don't believe it happened [whaaaat?] some don't want Europe to have any credit, some don't want the US claiming any credit.The US have a fantastic space programme, and in Europe we are doing pretty well too.Sheeesh!


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## Shirley (Nov 17, 2014)

Is this all y'all can find to argue about?


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## SifuPhil (Nov 17, 2014)

oakapple said:


> Splitting hairs Phil! I didn't say it was all of mankind, as I believe the tribes of Borneo had very little input.However, it was a range of countries coming together to do this, and I find it hard to understand why some on this forum either don't believe it happened [whaaaat?] some don't want Europe to have any credit, some don't want the US claiming any credit.The US have a fantastic space programme, and in Europe we are doing pretty well too.Sheeesh!



I was just replying to Twixie's post. 

I don't really care who did it or didn't - my quest is one of truth.  



			
				Shirley said:
			
		

> Is this all y'all can find to argue about?



Well, if I mentioned how many times I can write my name in the snow without using my hands, I'm sure there would be some pretty vocal disagreements ...


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## Meanderer (Nov 17, 2014)




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## AprilT (Nov 17, 2014)

SifuPhil said:


> The lead technician for ESA is seen here during final inspection of the  Rosetta spacecraft:
> 
> View attachment 11141


 

So precious.  Love it.


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## Meanderer (Nov 17, 2014)

> Originally posted by Phil:The lead technician for ESA is seen here during final inspection of the Rosetta spacecraft:



Foiled again!


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## Ina (Nov 17, 2014)

Phil, your still such a bad boy. :tapfoot:


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## AprilT (Nov 17, 2014)

Meanderer said:


> Foiled again!



Thanks, I had just taken a sip of my tea, now I have a mess to clean up.  
:hopelessness: :laugh:


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## Laurie (Nov 18, 2014)

SifuPhil said:


> I was just replying to Twixie's post.
> 
> I don't really care who did it or didn't - my quest is one of truth.
> 
> ...



Depends whose handwriting it is written in!


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## oakapple (Nov 18, 2014)

We knew SifuPhil was a scrap of a boy but didn't realise how very young he actually is! [It explains a lot of things.]


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## SifuPhil (Nov 18, 2014)

oakapple said:


> We knew SifuPhil was a scrap of a boy but didn't realise how very young he actually is! [It explains a lot of things.]



I'm one of the babies of the group, I know. 

Chronologically, anyway - I've been told I'm an old soul.

... or a fresh heel - I forget which.


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