But is it still attached?
So how is Philae attached to the comet right now? , might it just drift off or be kicked off by outgassing in the coming months?
Posts by MrJ
3 publicly visible posts • joined 25 Jul 2011
Lights OUT for Philae BUT slumbering probot could phone home again as comet nears Sun
Now Russians can't even contact their busted Mars probe
Friday 11th November 2011 16:15 GMT
Re: Altitude and speed?
"Every time the craft completes an orbit, it loses both altitude and speed"
As the craft orbits the earth, friction from the upper atmosphere reduces the speed of the satellite. As the speed decreases, the centripetal force acting upwards on the craft decreases, so gravity takes over and pulls the craft downwards, reducing its altitude....
Biting the hand that feeds IT
