This is our first attempt at gently landing on a comet. Even if everything goes right during the detachment from Rosetta and descending on the comet, the mission still faces challenges. The comet's surface may be so soft the lander has trouble drilling in and security itself, or Philae could get nailed by one of the boulder littering the comet's surface. I'll be locked to the webcast with my fingers crossed hoping this charismatic little robot survives the next stage of its adventures.

Advertisement

Excited? You can pick up your own avatars, banners, and wallpapers for the landing here. If you're really excited, the cartoonists for the Rosetta and Philae mission have a webshop with T-shirts.

Check the countdown to landing and watch the landing live on the ESA Rosetta website.