Philae probe makes historic landing on Comet 67P

ESA’s robot probe Philae has made the first, historic landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, after descending from its mothership, Rosetta spacecraft.

Philae lander touched down on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at about 16:05 GMT.

There were cheers and hugs at the control room in Darmstadt, Germany, after the signal was confirmed.

It was designed to shine a light on some of the mysteries of these icy relics from the formation of the Solar System.

“This is a big step for human civilization,” said Jean-Jacques Dordain, the director-general of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Shortly after the touchdown was confirmed, Stephan Ulamec, the mission’s lander chief, said: “Philae is talking to us… we are on the comet.”

The robot deployed harpoons to fasten itself to the 2.5-mile-wide ball of ice and dust.

Scientists will use Philae to take pictures of the comet’s landscape and to analyze its chemical composition.

They are hoping its surface materials will hold fresh insights into the origins of our Solar System more than 4.5 billion years ago.