Inside WORLD : Rosetta: the robot Philae "died" on the comet tchouri

The incredible odyssey of Philae is complete. The little robot, placed on the comet tchouri, was "off", announced around 2:30 in the night from Friday to Saturday the French Space Agency on his Twitter account.

"We receive more data. We lost contact ", said earlier Philippe Gaudon, head of Rosetta project at CNES (CNES) in Toulouse

Friday evening, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced good news shortly after 23 hours: the robot sent a signal showing "he's still alive." Better, "the signal was restored and scientific data tributary of the comet" tchouri, according to a tweet from the European Space Agency (ESA).

Scientists should also order Philae to rotate in the hope that this will allow one of its largest solar panels receive more light. This could give energy rechargeable batteries and thus a small reprieve. Which apparently did not work.

The little robot Philae launched his last strength in the largest operation of its expedition drilling comet tchouri. We then feared that the robot does not have enough energy to send to Earth on wealth of information collected. To believe the testimony of several officials, Philae would have been able to send, but we may have more details.

After several hours of blackout, a new window of connection between the Earth and the small module was opened on Friday at 22:30, leaving at 1:30 theoretically robot to send its data.

Trapped by the shadow

Philae was left in the comet with two energy sources: a battery with two days of autonomy, and solar panels expected to take over thereafter. However, the robot, after bouncing on the site where it would land, eventually went jamming a kilometer away in the shadow of a cliff, in a very rough place. And instead get 7 hours of sunshine per day, the solar panels do not even bénéficiaieint two. Too little to hold the module in life ...

Solar batteries "provide approximately four times less energy than expected," explained Philippe Gaudon, head of the Rosetta project at CNES. The duration of activity of the robot, which could last until March, has been so shortened.

The gamble of the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency was therefore the last few hours facing a difficult choice: she could play it safe and put the robot to sleep, without even trying to drill the comet, hoping he will wake up in a few weeks when the comet is closer to the sun. She could also try to maneuver the robot to release its rut. Or try the all out, use the remaining strength of the machine in a drill uncertain success, to risk sacrificing the robot, in the name of science.

Apparently, Esa chose scenarios 2 and 3. The last night, and in mid-afternoon, the robot has used its drills to take samples from inside the comet, the goal ultimate of his visit. The operation was extremely risky because the robot is known, is not anchored in the ground. Light as a feather on the comet without gravity, a single shot rig may well propel him into space.

The question now is: how much data Philae he had time to send? To be continued ...

Philae might wake up in a few months!

Scientists hope that the robot will come out of hibernation in August. At that time, the comet will be "active like hell, it will be very close to the sun," said one of the scientists. With a little luck, solar batteries the robot will store the heat which would allow him to wake up and get back to work and send the data trapped fault signal. Philae then die of heat to the approach of the sun.

Philae was 80% of its work

But even without drilling results, the robot has collected a wealth of images and scientific data. During his rebounds, "the robot worked and raised a lot of dust," argued Marc Pircher. "The results of Philae are extraordinary," said he said, adding that "80% of the work of the robot has been done." "The ten instruments Philae all worked. This is a great success. We can be satisfied, "said Philippe Gaudon.

It radiographed within the comet studied magnetism makes images of the ground, the complex molecules analyzed by the area identified by "sniffing". The mission "is unique and will remain single forever," said Andrea Accomazzo, flight director of the Rosetta mission, during the press conference of the ESA.