A panorama of Philae's view from the surface of the comet. Image: European Space Agency
After one final data-stream, the European Space Agency's Philae Lander has entered sleep mode. As expected, the little probe's unreplenished batteries gave out just four days after coming to rest on the comet 67P, the first such landing in the history of space exploration and the culmination of a 10-year journey from Earth.The Lander had landed at the base of a cliff, tucked into a shadowy pocket that only receives about an hour and a half of daylight per day. To keep Philae awake, the probe's batteries and solar array depend on a planned six to seven hours of sun.
The mission has hardly been for naught. Philae has already returned data and images, including the panorama above. The probe's hammer and drill were successfully activated, and it's hoped that data on the comet's surface can be beamed back to Earth as well. The probe's parent spacecraft, Rosetta, remains in orbit around the comet and will continue to listen for transmissions from the lander, however improbable."Prior to falling silent, the lander was able to transmit all science data gathered during the First Science Sequence," said Stephan Ulamec, the ESA's lander manager. "This machine performed magnificently under tough conditions, and we can be fully proud of the incredible scientific success Philae has delivered."There's some hope that next summer the lander will start receiving enough sunlight to power up. 67P, also known as Comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko, will only continue its 135,000 kilometers per hour inward spiral toward its final destination: the Sun.