Rosetta, ESA says goodbye to Philae: “almost zero contact Possibility” – The Republic

Although the hope is the last to die, unless a miracle it seems that we will have no more news of the small Philae. The ESA and the control center in Germany announced in a statement and social networks virtually the final goodbye to the lander touched down in November 2014 on the comet 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko. “The odds of Philae gets better in touch with our team and with our control center, unfortunately, are zero,” said Stephan Ulamec, Philae project manager at DLR, the German space agency.

the small module, after touching the surface of the comet, was bounced because of a malfunction of one of the hooks that were supposed to keep him ‘clinging’ and ended up far from their designated landing. A place that unfortunately has never assured enough exposure to the sun to recharge the batteries. So it was put into hibernation. Despite several contacts took place during 2015, they did hope for the best, the silence of the small lasted

from July 9 . And it was their to greet the DLR Philae on Twitter, with a “farewell” (goodbye) which probably puts an end to the mission that led to the first, historic, “accometaggio”. Rosetta will continue its mission instead orbiting 67 / P, snapping pictures to figure out where he might have stopped, precisely, his ‘companion’

(by Matteo Marini)