Raring to go, comet lander sends more signals
Out of the shadows and into the sunlight, the sleepy-headed little comet lander Philae has again updated its status after waking from a seventh-month slumber six days ago, the European Space Agency said Friday.
And its rarin' to get back to work, controllers said.
"The contact has confirmed that Philae is doing very well," the team at the European Space Operations Center in Germany reported.
Philae actually woke up in May, but didn't have enough battery juice to give the Rosetta orbiter a shout-out.
The spacecraft, the first to land on a comet, sent signals Friday for the third time since emerging from hibernation after its historic, bouncing touchdown in November. The awkward landing limited sun to its solar panels, which drained Philae's batteries after just 60 hours of scientific analysis and caused the probe to fall into safe mode.
Controllers said four of Philae's panels were now receiving energy, and more power will be produced as Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko speeds closer toward the sun.
The first contact came last Saturday, followed by a brief burst Sunday. Friday, Philae's twin, two-minute bursts, 17 minutes apart, included more telemetry and other "housekeeping" data, ESA said.
"At present, the lander is operating at a temperature of zero degrees Celsius, which means that the battery is now warm enough to store energy. This means that Philae will also be able to work during the comet's night, regardless of solar illumination."
Because the signal has been intermittent, the ground crew hasn't been able to reactivate Philae's 10 instruments. To strengthen communications with Rosetta, now 112 miles above, the orbiter will be maneuvered closer to the comet.
