In the wake of today’s announcement that a landing site has been chosen for Comet Churymov-Gerasimenko, the ESA has released a wicked cool, high-def animated sequence depicting the descent of the Philae probe and the deployment of its scientific instruments, starting with a 360-degree survey of its landing site.
Because of the comet’s extremely low gravity, ice screws in the probe’s feet and a harpoon system will lock the probe to the surface. At the same time a thruster on top of the lander will push it down to counteract the force of the harpoon imparted in the opposite direction.
