Rosetta's Spacecraft Successfully Lands On Comet

AP/HuffPost | By Alana Horowitz Email Posted: 11/12/2014 11:29 am EST 

European Space Agency's Rosetta space probe on Wednesday successfully deployed its robotic lander Philae on the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

This is the first time a spacecraft has ever landed on the surface of a comet. The mission was ten years in the making. EU science chief Anne Glover tweeted that, "I think Europe just boldly went where no one else has gone before."

Philae touched down on an area of the comet named Agilkia, using harpoons and screws to latch on to the surface. To see a minute-by-minute recount of the historic landing, check out HuffPost Science's liveblog.

Here's a timeline of the spacecraft's historic mission, courtesy of the AP:

DARMSTADT, Germany (AP) — The European Space Agency said it landed a spacecraft on a comet Wednesday for the first time ever. The Philae craft pulled off the audacious landing hours after it was released toward the giant ball of dust and ice by the unmanned Rosetta space probe.

The landing is the highlight of a decade-long mission to link up with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Here's a look at key moments during Rosetta's incredible trip:

___March 2, 2004: Europe's unmanned probe Rosetta takes off from Kourou, French Guiana, after a series of delays, including an abandoned January 2003 launch window because of a rocket problem. more