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Tomorrow, scientists try to wake the probe "Fila"
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Comet Churyumov - Gerasimenko i>
November 12, 2014 lander "Fila» (Philae) sat on the surface of the comet Churyumov - Gerasimenko. After two rebounds landing was successfully completed in unplanned mode. It was the first such maneuver in the history of space transport.
Unfortunately, the landing took place at the site of the comet, which is most of the time is illuminated in the shadow of the cliff, so the unit was able to work on the stored energy battery just three days (until 14 November), and then sank into sleep mode. However, in three days he had found in the gases that emits a comet, органические molecules .
The European Space Agency has not lost hope to restore contact with him. Tomorrow, March 12, 2015, 05:00 CET spacecraft "Rosetta» will start to listen to the air in hopes of getting the signal from the" Fila ».
The place where it is suspected "Fila", now covered approximately twice as much as in November. Comet 320 million km from the Sun, but there is a chance that the resulting energy will be enough to wake up. According to experts, the device is illuminated by the sun for 1, 3 hours each day (on a comet day is 12, 4:00).
"Perhaps there is too low a temperature to the lander resumed work, but worth a try. The chances of [his awakening] is increasing every day, "- said Stephen Ulamets (Stephan Ulamec), Project Manager" Fila "from the German Aerospace Center.
To "Fila" resumed work, requires two conditions.
The case temperature should rise above -45 ° C. The machine must generate a minimum of 5, 5 watts from their solar panels. «" Fila "designed that since November 2014, he used all the available solar energy to warm up, "- said the German engineer Gyurts Koen (Koen Geurts) from the control center.
The lander "Fila" and its tools i>
Once these two conditions are met, the unit yourself will wake up, begin warming up and try to charge the battery. In this mode, "Fila" every 30 minutes to activate the receiving radio antenna and waits for a signal from the orbiter "Rosetta". This requires a minimum energy. But to send a reply, he needs to find additional energy to activate the transmitter (it needs 19 watts).
It is possible that the device on the comet is already out of sleep mode, but has not yet sent the signal.
Thus, from 12 to 20 March "Rosetta" will send a signal to the lander and wait for a response. In these days of "Rosetta" is a preferred location opposite the lander when he is sunlit.
In reply "Fila" should provide information about the status of their tools and systems, temperature, power generation, etc.
If you attempt to wake the device 12-20 March fail, they will repeat at the next opportunity. Now the "Rosetta" is at about 20-kilometer circular orbit around the comet.
Source: geektimes.ru/post/247048/
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See also
Scientists continue to attempt to contact the probe Philae on the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Video probe Philae landing on the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, from ESA
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Philae probe went into operation, and transmits the data back to Earth (updated)
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