Risen module “Fila” offered renamed “Lazarus” – Moskovsky Komsomolets

Apparatus slept seven months, and finally woke up

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The European Space Agency (EKA) reported sensational news: the spacecraft Philae («Fila”) got in touch with the Earth from a comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, after seven months of sleep.

Photo: twitter.com

Photos published by the userESA_Rosetta

Recall that the lander separated from the interplanetary station Rosetta November 12, 2014 after a 10 – summer trip. Planting though was soft, but still failed, “Fila” does not consolidate the ground, he drifted into the shadow area, where he fell asleep without the necessary amount of sunlight to recharge the batteries. Seven months later, the comet has deployed “Fila” to the sun, and sleeping all the time Module awake. This, according to experts, who immediately began to discuss the event in the network, is already a miracle, “Nobody expected that electronics would be able to survive the long cold months of hibernation,” “Let’s rename the” Fila “in the” Lazarus “!”. However, a new contact with the “Fila” was very brief – he worked for only 85 seconds. Apparently, the device is turned back from the sun with the rotating comet. That’s what gave “Fila” repeater orbital station “Rosetta”, “Hello Earth! Can you hear me? “. So playful negotiations with ESA ground specialists trained him before hibernation, and now the module continue the game. It has 8,000 packets of data on the properties of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Now scientists are waiting for will be able to decipher them.

What knowledge we can get thanks to the risen machine? According to the chief researcher of the Institute of Space Research Leonid Ksanfomaliti on this mission was entrusted with great hope: neither more nor less, the study of the primeval universe. Because comets, especially like Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which fly three times farther from the Sun than Earth, has changed little over the past 4 billion years.

– They are called “dirty snowballs” – says Ksanfomaliti . – Another “Rosetta” orbit “made out” unusual cover the comet’s nucleus – a thin layer of “snow ashes.” This condensation of water vapor, which in the absence of gravity on the comet is not deposited and adhered to each other bit by bit, forming a layer of loose, like ash coating. When Churyumov-Gerasimenko sat module “Fila”, it met a real Antarctic temperature – -70 degrees Celsius. It was hoped that the machine votknetsya the ground with special devices. But all three were denied landing gear, – the device to spring back and flew away from the target site. He was in some dark pit, where not exposed to sunlight. After 60 hours, solar panels, “Fila” ran out of charge and he “went into hibernation.” Experts have not really had hoped that someday will be able to resuscitate him. Suddenly: “Hello, Earth!”. At one time, before the “lethargy”, ESA staff trained “Fila” to talk to them in a human way. Through numerical terms, it could lead to the Earth Dialogues like “Hi, I’m – the device” Fila “I live on the comet …” and now “disciple” greatly pleased with his teachers, and fun waking up saying about yourself.

It turned out that over the past seven months, “Fila”, together with a comet approached the sun so that we have accumulated enough energy to transmit a short signal, which lasted a little more than a minute – 85 seconds.

During this time on Earth learned about its operating temperature, which is -35 degrees Celsius, and in stock 24 watts of power. Interestingly, the “Fila” woke up even three days before the session, presumably on June 10. He gave clear signs of life, accumulating some data. Then it turned out that this is 8000 packets of information about the comet. Unfortunately, only teased their creators, the machine shut down again. It now remains to wait for the comet, which always rotates again allow him to accumulate enough energy for a full session.

– You said that the comet is almost no gravity. Due to what is kept there lander?

– «Fila” weighing on the earth almost 100 kg, or more precisely, 98.5 kg, it weighs on the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, only 7 grams. Presumably he just stands on the surface, and perhaps stuck their feet in some crack.

– we were able to learn from orbit station “Rosetta»

1.Apparat determined that the comet’s nucleus, which has “wrong” form every second releases into the environment about 300 milliliters of water.

2. In early September 2014, after analyzing images made a map of the surface of the nucleus with the release of several areas, each of which is characterized by a particular morphology.

3. The main scientific discovery was the discovery in the ice comet higher compared to the Earth’s oceans content of heavy water. This result refutes the partly accepted theory that the Earth’s water has a cometary origin.