New Images of a Comet's Surface Released by the 'Philae' Lander

New images released on Monday, November 26, provide very good clues about the location of the 'Philae' lander. These images, taken by 'Rosetta', the mother spacecraft of 'Philae', show the high-resolution stages of the lander's first and second landings. 'Philae' lifted off the comet's surface after the first landing due to the malfunction of its landing gear. Scientists at the German Aerospace Center said on Monday that initial analysis of the data sent by 'Philae' from a distance of 500 million kilometers from Earth indicates that the comet's surface is harder than researchers had calculated. Evidence suggests that there is a massive ice mass beneath the lander's landing site. Scientists are also waiting to receive information to ensure the progress of drilling on the comet and the necessary sampling for analysis. The materials beneath the comet's surface have not changed for nearly 4.5 billion years, and the materials present are a cosmic time capsule that scientists eagerly await to analyze. One of the most interesting aspects of this scientific mission for scientists is that it could be a step towards confirming the theory that comets brought the building blocks of life, including water, to Earth. Scientists say that as 'Philae' approaches the sun, there is a high probability that this European Space Agency lander will wake up from its winter sleep. According to the French news agency, scientists responsible for this mission said on Monday that with the lander waking up, they hope the second phase of its research will begin next year. 'Philae' is the first lander to have touched down on the surface of a comet on Wednesday, November 12 (21 Aban), and has so far sent a series of data back to Earth that scientists are eagerly testing and analyzing. However, the lander's position in the shadow of a rock has raised concerns about the continuation of this spacecraft's mission. Shortly after the lander's initial energy source was depleted, the European Space Agency decided to change the angle of the largest solar panel of 'Philae' towards the sunlight. This scientific maneuver, which was considered the last action by scientists to secure the lander's energy, was thought to be successful. Stephan Ulamec, the project manager of 'Philae', told the Associated Press: 'We are confident that the lander will wake up again and we will be able to establish contact.' Mr. Ulamec added that this event is expected to occur next spring, when the comet 'Churyumov 67P', on which 'Philae' landed, approaches the sun. The approach of the comet to the sun will charge the lander's second battery. He stated that a few days of sunlight on the solar panels should be enough to charge the battery and resume its operations. Scientists must reconstruct communication with 'Philae' to ensure this change. In the first step, they need to locate the lander, which is the size of a washing machine, on the surface of the comet that is four kilometers wide.