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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

OSIRIS sees Philae multiple times during landing

OSIRIS sees Philae multiple times during landing
OSIRIS sees Philae multiple times during landing The sharp-eyed OSIRIS camera on the Rosetta orbiter snapped numerous images of Philae as it descended toward its touchdown on the comet on November 12 at 15:34 UTC. Images documented the spacecraft rotating, and also saw evidence of the lander's touchdown on the comet surface. One final image, captured 9 minutes after the landing, sees the spacecraft bright against the shadowed surface, heading to the east on its first bounce. ESA / Rosetta / DLR / MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS / UPD / LAM / IAA / SSO / INTA / UPM / DASP / IDA

Here, the positions of the spacecraft against the comet are plotted on wider views of the comet, to provide context.

Philae's ground track on a NavCam context image
Philae's ground track on a NavCam context image Rosetta's OSIRIS science camera photographed Philae several times during its descent on November 12, 2014. This map shows the locations where OSIRIS saw Philae on a global view of the comet that was taken on September 14, 2014 from an altitude of 30 kilometers.Image: ESA / Rosetta / NavCam / Emily Lakdawalla
Philae's ground track on an OSIRIS context image
Philae's ground track on an OSIRIS context image Rosetta's OSIRIS science camera photographed Philae several times during its descent on November 12, 2014. This map shows the locations where OSIRIS saw Philae on a slightly wider view of the comet that was taken on September 14, 2014 from an altitude of 30 kilometers. The image scale is about half a meter per pixel. The intended landing site is marked with a small white cross.Image: ESA / Rosetta / DLR / MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS / UPD / LAM / IAA / SSO / INTA / UPM / DASP / IDA / annotated by Emily Lakdawalla