Rosetta and Philae separation confirmed

The Philae lander separated from the Rosetta orbiter on the 12 November 2014, and became the first spacecraft to touch down on a comet - a comet over 300 million miles away from earth. The spacecraft had been launched ten years earlier - in 2004.

It is hoped that data from the comet will provide information on how the solar system looked like 4.5bn years ago. Scientists also want to investigate more the hypothesis that the earth's water originated from comets.

However, celebrations were tempered by the later discovery that the probe’s two harpoons had not fired to fasten the craft down in the ultra-low gravity.

• Primary Source

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The Guardian, 13.11.14: Juncker axes Europe's chief scientific adviser http://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2014/nov/13/juncker-axes-europes-chief-scientific-adviser

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Euronews, 12.11.14: Rosetta’s Philae lands on comet 67P and enters the history books http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/12/esa-lands-probe-on-comet/

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