Article Posted on : - Nov 21, 2014

Philae landing on comet. Photo: ESA/ATG medialab

BERLIN (AP): Scientists have released a brief recording of the sound that Europe's space probe Philae made when it became the first to land on a comet last week.

The two-second recording features a short, sharp thud as the lander touched down about 500 million kilometres from Earth on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's icy surface.

Martin Knapmeyer of the German Aerospace Centre, DLR, said on Thursday that sound was recorded by instruments in the lander's feet.

Scientists are carefully analysing data collected during Philae's 60-hour operation on the comet, which already yielded evidence of plentiful frozen ice and organic molecules on 67P.

They hope to awaken the lander from its hibernation in the coming months, provided its solar panels generate enough energy as the comet nears the sun.