Rosetta probe Philae discovers organic molecules on comet

The European robot probe Philae that made the first landing on a comet has discovered organic molecules on its surface on Monday Nov. 17, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

The space probe made its historic landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko earlier this month. After several days of testing and research, the Philae probe powered down earlier than expected, but not before it discovered organic molecules first detected in the comet’s atmosphere.

The Wall Street Journal exclusively reported that the organic compound Philae discovered contains the carbon atom, which is the staple of all life on Earth.

Stephan Ulamec, Philae’s landing manager at the ESA, said that further research is necessary to determine whether or not the comet contains more complex compounds such as amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins, and if found on the comet it would suggest that comets “seed” the Universe with the rudimentary materials needed for life.

Philae’s findings “will help us to understand whether organic molecules were brought by comets to the early earth,” Ulamec said.

Scientists at the ESA did not expect the probe to “fall silent” as quickly as it did. Being solar powered, Philae was expected to receive seven hours of sunlight a day, but it only got 1.5 hours. The probe fell idle after 60 hours of work on the comet, the ESA reported.

Despite a loss of time, the feat of landing a probe on a comet traveling 40,000 mph remains remarkable. “This machine performed magnificently under tough conditions, and we can be fully proud of the incredible scientific success Philae has delivered,” Ulamec commented.

Comet 67P is more than four billion years old and has a mass of approximately 10 billion tons. The Rosetta, which carried the Philae space probe, traveled four billion miles to reach the comet, a journey that took 10 years to complete.

Collin Heatley is a fourth-year student majoring in history. He can be reached at CH761384@wcupa.edu