CD: Cosmic First: European Spacecraft Lands on Comet

Wow. Just wow.

PhilaeSearch1Landing with a bounce after traveling 4 billion miles, a European spacecraft made history yesterday by successfully reaching the icy, dusty surface of a speeding comet — a cosmic first designed to answer big questions about the universe.

The landing by the washing- machine-sized crafter after a decade-long journey required immense precision, as even the slightest error could have resulted in stellar calamity.

Indications were that the spacecraft touched down almost perfectly, save for an unplanned bounce, said Stephan Ulamec, head of the lander operation.

Read and marvel at it all.