Spacecraft Lands on Comet’s Surface

BREAKING NEWS Wednesday, November 12, 2014 11:12 AM EST

Spacecraft Lands on Comet’s Surface The European Space Agency’s ambitious attempt to place a spacecraft on the surface of a comet succeeded when a signal arrived at the mission control center at Darmstadt, Germany, at 5:04 p.m. local time (11:04 a.m. Eastern time). The lander, Philae, and its 10 instruments have now begun 64 hours of scientific operations before its batteries drain. Solar panels will then recharge the batteries, allowing intermittent operations over the coming months, about one hour every two days. READ MORE » http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/science/space/the-descent-of-philae-toward-the-comet-in-tweets.html?emc=edit_na_20141112