On Friday, European scientists announced they have stopped sending commands to the Philae space probe. The German Aerospace Center, or DLR, said it last made contact with the lander on July 9, adding that efforts to make contact since then have failed.
CTV News Canada is reporting that scientists say the conditions on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko have become extremely cold, falling below -180 degrees Centigrade at night, making it too cold for the probe to function.
ABC News quoted Philae project manager Stephan Ulamec: “Unfortunately, the probability of Philae re-establishing contact with our team at the DLR Lander Control Center is almost zero, and we will no longer be sending any commands, It would be very surprising if we received a signal now.”
Scientists may not hear from Philae ever again, but the probe has sent back a treasure trove of information that will keep scientists busy for years to come. On the last contact in July 2015, Philae sent back information on the comet’s composition, according to a Digital Journal story.
Philae’s mother-craft, Rosetta, is expected to continue carrying out scientific measurements as it orbits around 67P until September of this year. The Washington Post says Rosetta will then be steered so that it will also land on the comet. Currently, the comet is in between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, some 222 million kilometers (138 million miles) from Earth.
