# Anyone else excited about this Rosetta comet probe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 12, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411 "2014-11-12T03:11:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/121 "2014-11-14T15:42:48Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Kerbal Space Program models reality better than we thought! 🆒 😃 I was catching up with ESA’s Google Hangout this morning, and Matt Taylor was brought to tears in saying he knows he’s offended some people, but didn’t elaborate. What was that about? ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/122 "2014-11-14T15:45:15Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Why would it not work? [What basically happens is that the intermediate chemical reactions and energy used to continue the process it rapidly dispersed to its surrounding in vacuum and the reaction in the cotton slows down or stops.](http://www.wired.com/2013/10/in-space-no-one-can-hear-your-nitrocellulose-explode/) There’s a vacuum chamber test in that link and you can see it kind of decomposes rather than explode, that would mean that the problem with the harpoons is not a misfire, they just didn’t have the oomph to do anything. Apparently this group contacted ESA some months/years ago over this issue, but of course it was too late to do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/123 "2014-11-14T16:16:54Z")
I suggest anyone interested in the anchoring design take a look here: [2003ESASP.524..239T Page 242](http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/2003ESASP.524..239T/0000242.000.html) ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/124 "2014-11-14T16:24:48Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > [What basically happens is that the intermediate chemical reactions and energy used to continue the process it rapidly dispersed to its surrounding in vacuum and the reaction in the cotton slows down or stops.](http://www.wired.com/2013/10/in-space-no-one-can-hear-your-nitrocellulose-explode/) > > There’s a vacuum chamber test in that link and you can see it kind of decomposes rather than explode, that would mean that the problem with the harpoons is not a misfire, they just didn’t have the oomph to do anything. > > Apparently this group contacted ESA some months/years ago over this issue, but of course it was too late to do anything about it. Woah, cool. Would gunpowder (or smokeless powder) work? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/125 "2014-11-14T17:17:12Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Woah, cool. > > Would gunpowder (or smokeless powder) work? A modern gunpowder or charge would totally work so long as it contained an oxidizer. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/126 "2014-11-14T19:14:45Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > 😃 > > I was catching up with ESA’s Google Hangout this morning, and Matt Taylor was brought to tears in saying he knows he’s offended some people, but didn’t elaborate. What was that about? It was about his shirt. I’m not kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/127 "2014-11-14T21:40:23Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Would there be any colour? Was there colour on the moon? Serious question. I was wondering the same thing. Maybe the images released so far are in color. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/128 "2014-11-14T21:52:35Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > That two hour long bounce must have been quite the thing! I wonder how far above the surface it got? From what I read today, several hundreds meters. Must have been a very slow movement. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/129 "2014-11-14T21:55:29Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#): > > It was about his shirt. > > I’m not kidding. Oh Jesus Christ. That pinup girl shirt? Wow, people of the Earth need to lighten the fuck up. Way to go internets, you brought a cometary missions scientist to tears because of his ridiculous shirt. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/130 "2014-11-14T21:57:12Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Meanwhile, back to the lander, apparently the nitrocellulose they used to fire the harpoons doesn’t work in a vacuum. :smack: That seems to be a mistake on par with mistaking feet for meters in this Mars mission. How could they miss that? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/131 "2014-11-14T22:16:07Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#): > > It was about his shirt. > > I’m not kidding. He’s an evil gamergate troll, probably rapes women! ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/132 "2014-11-14T22:27:30Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > A modern gunpowder or charge would totally work so long as it contained an oxidizer. Don’t they all contain an oxidizer? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/133 "2014-11-14T22:58:19Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Don’t they all contain an oxidizer? Apparently not what they used on the lander? As far as I know, I thought the saltpeter acted as an oxidizer. But may they used something else, or they needed something with a little more oopmh? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/134 "2014-11-15T00:41:59Z")
Philae has gone into low-power, which means all instruments are off, but comms continue until it needs to move into hibernate. It seems that ESA control wrested as much info out of the lander as they could, and they seem to have re-oriented it on the surface by about 35% (dunno the axis mind you) by waggling the legs. This could be the last, but there’s the possibility that with the new orientation the solar panels will keep the lander alive, and hopefully as the comet moves further in-system Philae might revived. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/135 "2014-11-15T00:51:00Z")
Remember too that lots of science was already accomplished just catching up the the comet and sniffing its butt. Philae is cool, but it wasn’t the totality of the mission. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/136 "2014-11-15T01:00:46Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Remember too that lots of science was already accomplished just catching up the the comet and sniffing its butt. Philae is cool, but it wasn’t the totality of the mission. Yeah, Rosetta is still going to be with the comet for ages yet as it closes in on the sun. Lots of new stuff to see there! ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/137 "2014-11-15T03:23:37Z")
[QUOTE=ESA] Prior to falling silent, the lander was able to transmit all science data gathered during the First Science Sequence [/QUOTE] > **[Our lander’s asleep – Rosetta – ESA's comet chaser](https://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/11/15/our-landers-asleep/)** > > Follow ESA's mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Brian ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/138 "2014-11-15T03:38:28Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Philae has gone into low-power, which means all instruments are off, but comms continue until it needs to move into hibernate. It seems that ESA control wrested as much info out of the lander as they could, and they seem to have re-oriented it on the surface by about 35% (dunno the axis mind you) by waggling the legs. This could be the last, but there’s the possibility that with the new orientation the solar panels will keep the lander alive, and hopefully as the comet moves further in-system Philae might revived. I wonder if they could trickle charge the batteries using the reduced output from the solar panels. That way they could top up the battery, do some stuff, go to sleep, charge up, and so on and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/139 "2014-11-15T05:03:18Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > From what I read today, several hundreds meters. Must have been a very slow movement. Not sure I understand the physics here - if I get thrown in the air above the Earth I come back down because of the Earth’s strong gravitational pull. But this comet does not have the same gravitational pull strength so what caused the lander to come back down as opposed to flying off? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411/140 "2014-11-15T05:36:19Z")
> [@dgrdfd](#): > > Not sure I understand the physics here - if I get thrown in the air above the Earth I come back down because of the Earth’s strong gravitational pull. But this comet does not have the same gravitational pull strength so what caused the lander to come back down as opposed to flying off? It’s gravitational pull. It’s very tiny, but it has one, of course. The lander weighs about a gram on the surface, so it’s escape velocity as mentioned up thread was 1.1 mph. So, it’s bounce must’ve been very close to, but just under that (otherwise it would’ve kept drifting away), and traced a 2 hour long parabola until it bounced for the second time… then a third and final, ending up tilted and in a ditch somewhere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-excited-about-this-rosetta-comet-probe/704411.md?page=8)