Ice in space: Professor Finzi comments on the latest discovery of Philae

The Rosetta spacecraft's Philae lander left a puzzle that we have only now solved

It's been more than 6 anni that Philae has landed on comet 67P (also known as Churyumov-Gerasimenko, from the name of the scientists who found it). It reached its destination in 2014, after a long journey with space probe Rosetta, who left the earth in 2004. On the 12th of november 2014, Philae descended on the comet with a rocky landing, recoiled from its original site of landing, Agilkia and went on a 2 hour journey, then crashing in an unknown site. Philae then landed in a protected corner of the comet (read more about the journey of Philae ).  

The second landing site has been long uknown for the scientist, that have just got the information after years of research. Philae has been under 25 cm of ice in the slope of a crevass, leaving traces of the passage of its components. For the scientists is an important discovery, which will allow us to study pure ice, never been exposed to the sunlight.

Philae has a DNA made in Politecnico. In its center of control there is the work of many Alumni of the Politecnico di Milano and many components have been made by italian companies in collaboration with the Politecnico, such as the electric drill and the solar panels. To learn more about it read the interview that we made in 2014 to Andrea Accomazzo, Alumnus of Areaonatical Engineering in 1995 and Flight Director ESA for mission Rosetta, taken during the landing phase of Philae.

"Philae is saying he has found ice" says Professor Amalia Ercoli Finzi the "mother" of the mission Rosetta, in an interview to the Sole 24 Ore (see the video interview). “We knew already that comets are made of ice, but we have found a special, ancient ice from 4 billion years ago, when the comet has formed. Over the ice theres is a a thin sheet of ice that looks like the foam of a wave. Is wonderful".

We spoke about Rosetta and Professor Amalia Ercoli Finzi in the 1st number of the Magazine Alumni Politecnico di Milano

Credits header: https://www.ladepeche.fr/2022/08/12/etoiles-filantes-ne-ratez-rien-des-perseides-qui-vont-illuminer-le-ciel-ce-vendredi-soir-10484085.php

credits home: https://amadeusmagazine.it/rubrica-news/amalia-ercoli-finzi/

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