Cheers erupted in mission centers in France and Germany Wednesday as the European Space Agency's Philae lander made an unprecedented touchdown on the surface of a comet.
Philae was released for its descent seven hours earlier by ESA's car-sized Rosetta spacecraft, which has been keeping pace with the comet since August. The boxy lander, which is about the size of a washing machine, made its way to the comet's surface at a leisurely walking pace — roughly 2 mph (1 meter per second).
