The EU political project has not exactly been a roaring success but, in stark contrast, European science, engineering and technology is second to none and is still pushing the boundaries. In the spirit of centuries of unique European scientific developments, discoveries and vision that are responsible for much of the modern world now around us, today the European Space Agency (ESA http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Welcome_to_ESA/What_is_ESA ) successfully placed a lander on the comet  67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko .  As if the 10-year journey of over 6.5 billion kilometres wasn’t enough, the spacecraft Rosetta successfully delivered its passenger, the lander Philea, to its landing Site-J (now renamed Agilkia), on the surface of a comet moving at 40,000 mph through space http://www.livecometdata.com/comets/67p-churyumov-gerasimenko/ .  Launched in 2004 its technology is by now well out of date – at the time the iPod had only just been launched – but the accomplishment is nonetheless fully 21^st Century.  Science fiction today became science fact, even Major Tom would be impressed, certainly Captain Kirk (William Schatner) Tweeted his best wishes during the landing.

Looking back at the Rosetta spacecraft from the Lander Philea as it separated earlier today and began its 7-hour journey to the surface of the comet.

In the same spirit of watching the first lunar landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969, I have followed events live all day.   The suspense was almost as exciting. The control room was in stark contrast to 1969 but with just laptops and flat screen terminals that could have come from PC-World; it looked like a low key trading room rather than the centre of a major scientific space adventure. Such is the distance from the comet to Earth that final confirmation of the landing took 28 minutes and 20 seconds to arrive, 28 minutes of suspense. Touchdown was at 16.02h GMT.

As Philea left for 67P/C-G it was described by ESA scientists to be moving in for the kiss, wow what a kiss.  I can’t wait to see pictures from the comet’s surface and especially the science that will emerge later.  Chapeau ESA!!

https://watchthisspaceman.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/rendezvous/

Philae on its descent from Rosetta to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko