Philae space module lands for the first time in a space comet

The Philae landing module of the Rosetta’s spacecraft settled on the surface of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, reported this Wednesday the European Space Agency.

This is the first time a robot is settled on a comet. According to the plan, the module, similar to a washing machine size, descended upon the comet where it anchored with harpoons and screws.

The landing in the comet, which travels at full speed through the space, capped a decade’s mission to study closely the giant ball of ice and dust and learn more about the origins of these heavenly bodies.

The agency said it received a signal from the module Philae, 100 kilograms (220 pounds), after it successfully landed on the frozen surface of the comet, 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) of diameter.

The event marked the end of 10 years of travel through 6,400 million kilometers (4,000 million miles), where the Rosetta spacecraft carried its companion, the Philae landing module.