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TODAY’S MINDBLOWING DEVELOPMENT in space exploration had scientists across the world celebrating.
One NASA man, Jim Green, claimed the landing of a probe on a speeding comet was a significant step in our journey to Mars (as in, our journey to inhabit another planet).
He is adamant that the human race will not survive on just one planet alone and the European Space Agency’s “audacious” move to unlock the secrets of comets — primordial clusters of ice and dust that may have helped sow life on Earth – is just one of the things “we must do”.
So, how much did this enormous feat cost?
According to Scienceogram.org, a body that looks at the spending on science projects across the UK and Europe, it’s not that much, if you think about it.
Yes, the mission cost a massive €1.4 billion in European monies. But what does that equate to?
Less than the cost of a cinema ticket to Interstellar!
Here’s the math:
There was some bad news, however, to relay tonight.
During touchdown, the three-legged landing gear was meant to absorb the impact to prevent rebound, and an ice screw in each foot was supposed to drive into the surface.
Neither of these things have been confirmed yet.
“The conditions of landing – including whether or not the thruster performed – along with the exact location of Philae on the comet are being analysed,” according to the agency.
The ESA does not want to jump to bad conclusions, saying the probe is transmitting data and that it will know more tomorrow about its location.
It may have landed on a soft area of sand, according to the scientists.
Images have already been received and will be released in the next few hours.
The Philae lander’s journey from its mothership took seven hours today – a tense wait for those in the German control room who had decided last night to ‘go’ with the mission, one years in the making.
“Our ambitious Rosetta mission has secured a place in the history books: not only is it the first to rendezvous with and orbit a comet, but it is now also the first to deliver a lander to a comet’s surface,” noted Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA’s Director General.
With Rosetta we are opening a door to the origin of planet Earth and fostering a better understanding of our future. ESA and its Rosetta mission partners have achieved something extraordinary today.
Rosetta was launched on 2 March 2004 and travelled 6.4 billion kilometres through the Solar System before arriving at the comet on 6 August 2014.
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These floods have been going on for the last 3 days and the journal are the first to do a story on it, nothing in any of the other news sites
They’re trying to find a way to link it to Putin first.
Sad
You would think that when you can’t see the massive propaganda against Russia at the moment.
Do you actually believe that they are trying to link Rainfall to Putin?
No it was a joke ffs…
Albeit a bad one at that.
Joe, congratulations for being the first to link this to Putin.
Thank you Journal for sharing story on this. I contacted you last night about it so is very appreciated. I hope you keep covering it as situation is very bad and people need help. Badly. We are trying to organise something from Ireland but we have very little knowledge how to do it except privately sending small amounts of money which is not really help in moment as they need water, food, nappies etc for next few nights. Looks like all help or most of it is coming from few countries ( Russia among first) and ex Yugoslavian from other countries. Croatia and Slovenia send help as well even there is big risk in Croatia for same happening to them. Any further media cover keep donation to this people so thank you very much for it.
They need to get going on climate change mitigation soon as the situation is not going to get any better – it is not as if this was not predicted with a warming climate in the region. Big floods in Germany around the Danube last year when I was there too. Warmer air holds more moisture and leads to heavier rain and more storms – one of the basics of climate and meteorology. Every country needs to start mitigation work against the worst effects of climate change, because it is here now and it is not going away.
Geo engineering at its evil best
Proof?
have your say