back to article Rosetta probe to try contact with Philae lander on Thursday

The European Space Agency (ESA) says its comet-circling Rosettta probe will try to make contact with the Philae lander starting Thursday. In case you've come in late, this story starts in 2004 when the ESA sent a craft called Rosetta in the direction of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta's payload included Philae, a …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Surely?

    I can't be the only person who thought 'Space Invaders' and was waiting for a bonus UFO to fly across the top

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Surely?

      Lol, with respect I think you might be :)

      On a serious note, hats off and "we're not worthy"s to everyone involved with this project, it's awesome.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Surely?

      No, its the Liberator.....

      In fact, its a better shot than some of the ones used by the BBC in the original series!

  2. Roger Greenwood
    Happy

    It's a teenager . .

    You need to shout.

    (Seriously hope this works though)

  3. Nash

    i hope it works

    I do hope they manage to wake it up. it seems the hardest part is complete, actually landing on the comet. so providing it latched on securely and has managed to capture enough sunlight and store it well then hopefully it should boot up as expected....although i am no scientist and "Boot Up" was probably the wrong term to use.....

    I'd love to see some new pictures of its managed to spin its camera around as the last pics we saw it seemed to be staring at a fairly un-interesting rock face....

    I'd also like to see some shots from the orbiter if they manage to locate it on the comet to see just how far it was from it's intended landing site.

    1. Joe Harrison

      Re: i hope it works

      No it probably is the right term. I was on an electric train early one winter morning when the power failed and we came to a stop and sat in the dark. We cheered when after a while the lights came back on but the driver announced we still could not go just yet as the train required ten minutes to boot up.

      1. Captain Scarlet Silver badge

        Re: i hope it works

        Are you sure the driver wasn't having a brew?

        1. AbelSoul
          Trollface

          Re: Are you sure the driver wasn't having a brew?

          In which case he might have needed a boot up (the arse) too.

        2. Alan Brown Silver badge

          Re: i hope it works

          Believe it or not the DLR trains all have a PDP-11 microvax buried in their internals (or used to, unless recently updated). 10 minutes sounds about right.

  4. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Happy

    Fingers crossed!

    I really hope the probe wakes up from its hybernation without issues. I cannot help wondering if, when it wakes up, Philae will say:

    "I have worked out that if I stick my left arm in my right ear, I can electrocute myself ..., terminally"

    or alternatively

    "I think you ought to know I am feeling very depressed"

    Or simply:

    "It's c c cold"

    1. Phil W

      Re: Fingers crossed!

      Or perhaps it will have merged with some giant spaceborne entity, some of the letters will have worn off and it will claim to be a god named P'lae?

    2. Mark 85

      Re: Fingers crossed!

      Or...

      "Look, I spent 10 years on the road. Can we set the snooze alarm so I can get another week's sleep?"

  5. 0laf

    Fingers crossed for the Comeback-kid.

    But an epic mission even if it doesn't.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hard science or a fishing expedition?

    Here's hoping it's not a Philae O Fish...

    I'm leaving, OK?

    1. Jonathan Richards 1
      Stop

      Re: Hard science or a fishing expedition?

      > Here's hoping it's not a Philae O Fish...

      Anon you may be, but we can geolocate you by that execrable pun, you monster. It only works in the USA, where for some reason the word "fillet" is pronounced as if it was French, with a silent 't'. The correct pronunciation1 rhymes with "millet", "goblet" and "jacket", which I sincerely hope that you don't pronounce as 'millay', 'goblay' and 'jackay'!

      1 http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/fillet

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Hard science or a fishing expedition?

        Timmaay

      2. Intractable Potsherd

        Re: Hard science or a fishing expedition?

        Or "comay", maybe, in this context?

  7. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

    Bit confused...

    Why do they need to send it wake-up commands if "it will turn on, heat up further and attempt to charge its battery" when receiving more than 5.5W and internal temps exceed -45 degrees C?

    Sounds like "turn on" in this context means going into a standby mode.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Boffin

      Re: Bit confused...

      Yes, that is what it means: it means it will start enough of its electronics that it can hear commands from Rosetta and then sit there listening for them while charging the battery.

  8. Gordo Rex
    Black Helicopters

    Am I the only one....

    ....who has noticed that the "comet" on which this "lander" allegedly sits is getting more sunlight and warmth in the exact same season as the Mexican desert? Coincidence? I don't think so.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Am I the only one....

      Yes.

      Yes it is.

      Think what you like, doesn't alter anything.

  9. phil dude
    Joke

    Apple Watch raises space probe from certain death...

    From $349* to $17000**

    P.

    * does not include all the other Apple kit you will need to use it.

    ** will make you feel a tw*t

  10. Blitheringeejit
    Coat

    Don't see the problem...

    ...can't they just ask the lander to send them a GPS fix?

    No, wait - erm...

    /coat

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