Thursday, November 13, 2014

LANDING A SPACE PROBE ON A COMET

National Aeronautics and Space Administration aka NASA used to be on top of the field of outer space exploration. However, budgeting for NASA has become so almost near non-existent, that the rockets the United States of America launches into outer space is outsourced to Space Exploration Technologies Corporation aka Space X. Russia is the only way to get a rocket ship ride to the International Space Station. British Corporation the Virgin Group has launched a subdivision called Virgin Galactic to launch spaceships into outer space instead of NASA doing it. Just have it outsourced to the British as an alternative to Space X. Well, to be honest, Virgin Galactic has yet to successfully launch an actual spaceship. Spaceship 2 (The Virgin Galactic version of the Space Shuttle) crashed into the desert, but that didn't stop Angelina Jolie from booking a future flight on a yet to be built variation of Virgin Galactic's Spaceship 2. Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is the founder and CEO of the Virgin Group and he already signed a memorandum of understanding with NASA even though Spaceship 2 has yet to successfully fly into outer space without crashing (due to a broken rudder or something like that). And now we have the European Space Agency---The European Union equivalent of NASA---Entering the race to outer space as a new competitor (Or possibly a new ally). And their latest mission is to chase after a comet.
Ten years ago, the European Space Agency launched the Rosetta Spacecraft towards Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Well, the Human Race is the only intelligent life and we only took possession of only less than 1/8 of the entirety of outer space. We might as well start with Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Anyway, the Rosetta Spacecraft finally reached Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The Philae Lander detached from the Rosetta Spacecraft (which continues to fly over the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko). The Philae Lander has landed on the nucleus of the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The Philae Lander bounced twice and landed three times on the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. It appears as if the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has a rocky core for which to land the Philae Lander on. The comet isn't all fire and brimstone out there. The landing was successful and now photos of the comet nucleus is being taken and broadcast back to the European Space Agency right now---Even as we speak.
Below is a photograph taken by the Philae Lander of the rocky core of the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.  This is a sight that you'll never see on the planet Earth, but rather one of the many sights that will be seen in outer space.  And it takes roughly ten years at normal spaceship speed just to reach this particular destination.  It's humbling to know that the rocky core of the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko still hasn't been touched by human hands.





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