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[ Suspenseful music plays ]
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♪♪
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What asteroids are
are, really, remnants
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from when the solar system
was forming.
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♪♪
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[ Growl ]
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We also have to respect them
[ Laughs ] as something that
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could actually change
our way of life, even today.
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♪♪
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We have high confidence
that the dinosaurs were ended
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by a very large impact
of a asteroid on the earth.
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♪♪
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If a large enough asteroid
were to hit the earth,
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it would be quite cataclysmic.
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♪♪
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[ Explosion ]
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Genge: Impacts are not
necessarily just bad things.
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The earth was very dry
when it formed.
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There was hardly any water.
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There were hardly any carbon
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and we think most
of the ingredients for life
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were delivered
by asteroids and comets.
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♪♪
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You could spend
the rest of your life
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exploring every little
part of the comet
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and not see the same type
of thing twice.
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♪♪
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Man: 10, 9, 8, 7,
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6, 5.
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So the near mission
was designed and conceived
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so that it would actually
show up at an asteroid stop,
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be in close proximity to it
for an extended period of time.
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- 1...
- Just to see what an asteroid was like.
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-...zero. And liftoff.
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♪♪
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Genge: Near launched in 1996.
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Keep the pressure rising
in all six -- motors.
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And, like all
planetary missions,
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it takes a long time
to reach the target.
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Good chamber pressure
on the main engine.
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So it didn't arrive at Eros
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until the 20th of December
in 1998.
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We have good engine control
in the main engine.
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Good engine control
in the [ Indistinct ]
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♪♪
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As you fly into the body,
you've never seen it before
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and you start to see the images.
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♪♪
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At first, they're very fuzzy,
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but then, they come more
and more into focus.
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♪♪
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And, at every stage,
you're seeing new things.
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♪♪
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It looks like it's two asteroids
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that are just sort of
resting on each other
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and it's got those beautiful
saddle regions
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where they sort of touch
each other.
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♪♪
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Genge: That phase of the
mission lasted from December 1998
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all the way to February 2001.
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♪♪
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The spacecraft was nearing
the end of its life.
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It couldn't fly back to earth.
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♪♪
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The mission manager
had people start studying,
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well, what would it take
to actually bring the spacecraft
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down to the surface,
to have a soft landing,
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so that maybe the spacecraft
could even survive?
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♪♪
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When it was launched,
it was never designed
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to actually land on the surface.
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I remember thinking that,
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"there's no way
this is going to work."
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We have successfully
deorbited around Eros
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and we're on our way down.
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There's no turning back now.
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♪♪
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Scheeres:
It was a complete success.
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♪♪
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It landed, perched itself
on the surface.
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It was quite exciting.
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[ Cheering and applause ]
This is the first time
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that any spacecraft
has landed on a small body.
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[ Laughs ]
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Congratulations.
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Near-shoemaker showed
that it's possible
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to touch down on an asteroid.
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♪♪
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The next big target is to bring
a piece back to earth.
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♪♪
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Got it. Oop, nope. It dropped.
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See if I can pick it up again.
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I think it'll fit
in the bag, Joe.
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♪♪
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Scheeres: When we went to
the moon, we got lunar rocks,
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then brought them back
to the earth
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and have been
analyzing them ever since.
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♪♪
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It allows us to understand
our own earth so much better.
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It's sort of like archeology
of the solar system.
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Woman: Look, go.
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So, hayabusa set the stage
to answer that next question.
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Ignition.
[ Man speaking Japanese ]
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Ignition and liftoff!
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[ Speaking Japanese ]
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Jaxa, the Japanese space agency,
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wanted to send a spacecraft
to an asteroid,
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grab a piece,
and bring it back to earth.
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The very first
sample-return mission.
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♪♪
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[ Cheering and applause ]
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♪♪
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Scheeres: It was a
very ambitious mission.
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♪♪
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From the start, it was also
sort of a cursed mission.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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Scheeres: The solar flare
compromised their solar arrays,
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so they had less power
to push themselves on
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towards the asteroid.
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Furthermore, they were carrying
some reaction wheels.
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That was also
a very large complication
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because it changed the whole way
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that they controlled
the spacecraft.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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♪♪
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Hayabusa(1) is there to collect
pieces of the asteroid
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and that all begins
on November 5, 2005.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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The spacecraft's going to slowly
come down towards the surface
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and then, they have a funnel
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and that funnel touches down
on the surface.
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♪♪
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It would fire a projectile
into the surface.
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The debris comes up the funnel
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and it's then collected
into the container
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and then away it would go,
so it was a touch-and-go.
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♪♪
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So there was nothing
to make that plume of dust
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go up into the sample container.
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♪♪
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Eventually, the spacecraft
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leaves the surface
and, unfortunately,
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there is now a leak
in one of the fuel lines.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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When you're leaking
material into space,
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it's like having another engine.
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It's like a jet.
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♪♪
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They were able to tell that,
in a few months,
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they would actually be able
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to get small commands
into one of the antennas.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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For hayabusa,
the struggles were not over.
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So it had to get back to earth.
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♪♪
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Scheeres: Here is
this crippled spacecraft,
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you know,
literally limping home.
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♪♪
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People are worried
that the mission
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is going to fail at this stage,
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that we potentially may or may
not have collected samples
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and that it might not actually
make it back to us.
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Scheeres: So they're
hanging on by a thread.
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[ Suspenseful music plays ]
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For hayabusa,
the struggles were not over.
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It had to get back to earth.
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♪♪
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Scheeres: So they're
hanging on by a thread.
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♪♪
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But, they were able to hang on.
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♪♪
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[ Man speaks indistinctly ]
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They were able
to successfully navigate
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all the way back to earth.
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♪♪
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Nice flashes.
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Oh, wow.
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♪♪
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40 kilometers.
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♪♪
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They have, indeed, collected
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maybe 1,500 dust particles.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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One of the things we're
interested with asteroids is
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whether they delivered
the oceans to earth.
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♪♪
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They are a match.
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♪♪
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So it's the first clue
that, maybe,
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all this wonderful water
on the surface of the earth
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actually comes from asteroids.
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♪♪
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Asteroids are fascinating,
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but further out
away from the young sun...
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♪♪
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...is where very bizarre
objects were created.
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The comets.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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People have always
been intrigued
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by these messengers that come
out of the night sky.
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♪♪
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What are these objects?
Where do they come from?
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What are they made of?
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♪♪
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What's locked up as treasure
or secrets in comets?
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♪♪
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For a long time,
they were mysterious.
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We didn't even know
their orbits.
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♪♪
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And it really wasn't until the
observations of halley's comet
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where it was realized that they
actually orbit the solar system,
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00:12:38,358 --> 00:12:41,871
that it comes back
every 76 years.
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♪♪
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Halley's comet
has a special place.
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♪♪
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1986 was a really special year
because we got our first look.
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♪♪
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00:12:54,441 --> 00:12:55,573
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
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00:12:58,711 --> 00:13:00,523
Man: First-stage
servomotor started.
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00:13:00,547 --> 00:13:01,924
♪♪
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00:13:01,948 --> 00:13:04,827
The objective of giotto
was pretty simple, really --
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To intercept halley.
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00:13:06,419 --> 00:13:08,097
Final arming ready to go.
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00:13:08,121 --> 00:13:09,888
Man: Six, cinq...
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Ignition.
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00:13:17,030 --> 00:13:19,297
First-stage.
Ignition and takeoff.
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00:13:23,702 --> 00:13:24,747
First-stage flight.
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00:13:24,771 --> 00:13:25,948
[ Speaking French ] [ Applause ]
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♪♪
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The comet has an atmosphere,
that we call the coma,
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and then, the tail streams
away from the comet.
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00:13:34,614 --> 00:13:37,727
And the tail also contains dust.
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♪♪
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00:13:40,687 --> 00:13:44,700
Dust particles, although they
might not seem hazardous,
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00:13:44,724 --> 00:13:50,273
if you fire them at a spacecraft
at many kilometers per second,
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00:13:50,297 --> 00:13:54,277
even a small dust particle
can destroy the spacecraft.
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♪♪
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00:14:02,242 --> 00:14:05,488
Giotto made its rush
towards halley's comet
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00:14:05,512 --> 00:14:08,624
and it's getting closer
and closer to the nucleus.
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♪♪
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And it's being hit by particles.
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They're picking up impacts.
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♪♪
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[ Beep ]
It gets hit by a big one.
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And it puts the spacecraft
into a spin.
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♪♪
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And so, all of a sudden,
its protection, its shield,
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is not facing
the dust particles.
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[ Beeping ]
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00:14:55,961 --> 00:15:00,098
♪♪
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[ Suspenseful music plays ]
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♪♪
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Genge: Giotto made its
rush towards halley's comet
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and it's getting closer
and closer to the nucleus.
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It gets hit by a big one.
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00:15:20,352 --> 00:15:23,466
♪♪
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The camera goes dead.
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And the spacecraft
is still flying through,
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through that debris.
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And I think there were
a lot of people there
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who thought that they were
going to lose the spacecraft
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and that was it, that was
the end of the mission.
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♪♪
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But, thankfully, it survived.
272
00:15:48,515 --> 00:15:50,760
It went all the way through
and lived on.
273
00:15:50,784 --> 00:15:53,651
♪♪
274
00:16:07,566 --> 00:16:13,471
♪♪
275
00:16:15,140 --> 00:16:16,519
♪♪
276
00:16:16,543 --> 00:16:18,020
They were just truly incredible.
277
00:16:18,044 --> 00:16:20,289
♪♪
278
00:16:20,313 --> 00:16:22,024
The comet, surprisingly,
279
00:16:22,048 --> 00:16:28,331
is not this bright,
clean bowl of ice.
280
00:16:28,355 --> 00:16:30,166
It's dark.
281
00:16:30,190 --> 00:16:32,234
It's almost black.
282
00:16:32,258 --> 00:16:36,861
♪♪
283
00:16:43,569 --> 00:16:48,651
♪♪
284
00:16:48,675 --> 00:16:52,188
We've learned about processes
that are going on
285
00:16:52,212 --> 00:16:54,223
inside a comet
286
00:16:54,247 --> 00:16:56,125
that we would never
have guessed,
287
00:16:56,149 --> 00:16:57,426
unless we'd gone there.
288
00:16:57,450 --> 00:16:59,195
[ Applause ]
289
00:16:59,219 --> 00:17:01,764
Giotto was remarkable.
290
00:17:01,788 --> 00:17:02,865
[ Applause ]
291
00:17:02,889 --> 00:17:05,501
♪♪
292
00:17:05,525 --> 00:17:08,704
When giotto flew past
comet halley in 1986,
293
00:17:08,728 --> 00:17:13,209
the flyby was around 68,
70 kilometers a second.
294
00:17:13,233 --> 00:17:15,578
♪♪
295
00:17:15,602 --> 00:17:17,446
You see it for a few minutes
and then it's gone.
296
00:17:17,470 --> 00:17:18,581
It's all over.
297
00:17:18,605 --> 00:17:20,516
♪♪
298
00:17:20,540 --> 00:17:23,419
To learn more, you want to go
and rendezvous with a comet.
299
00:17:23,443 --> 00:17:25,154
You want to fly alongside it.
300
00:17:25,178 --> 00:17:26,455
♪♪
301
00:17:26,479 --> 00:17:28,691
Can we learn about the
evolution of these objects
302
00:17:28,715 --> 00:17:32,228
by studying it over time?
303
00:17:32,252 --> 00:17:33,929
And, of course, then,
the idea comes up,
304
00:17:33,953 --> 00:17:35,765
you would want to touch down
on the surface.
305
00:17:35,789 --> 00:17:38,034
You want to land there,
sample material.
306
00:17:38,058 --> 00:17:40,636
♪♪
307
00:17:40,660 --> 00:17:44,607
To do all of that in one mission
308
00:17:44,631 --> 00:17:47,309
is incredibly gutsy.
309
00:17:47,333 --> 00:17:48,978
Dix, neuf,
310
00:17:49,002 --> 00:17:50,312
huit, sept --
311
00:17:50,336 --> 00:17:54,216
The first time I heard
about the mission, I thought,
312
00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:55,284
"they must be joking."
313
00:17:55,308 --> 00:17:57,620
Cinq, quatre,
314
00:17:57,644 --> 00:17:59,555
trois, deux,
315
00:17:59,579 --> 00:18:01,012
UN --
316
00:18:02,347 --> 00:18:04,960
♪♪
317
00:18:04,984 --> 00:18:06,662
Décollage.
318
00:18:06,686 --> 00:18:08,864
We launch in march 2004.
319
00:18:08,888 --> 00:18:11,934
♪♪
320
00:18:11,958 --> 00:18:15,471
Accomazzo: The whole travel to the
comet was an adventure for rosetta.
321
00:18:15,495 --> 00:18:17,373
♪♪
322
00:18:17,397 --> 00:18:19,909
The comet is on an orbit
with a different energy level,
323
00:18:19,933 --> 00:18:21,377
compared to the one
of the earth,
324
00:18:21,401 --> 00:18:25,047
so we had to actually impart
this energy to our spacecraft
325
00:18:25,071 --> 00:18:26,515
to get to the same orbit.
326
00:18:26,539 --> 00:18:30,953
♪♪
327
00:18:30,977 --> 00:18:33,989
So we did this thing
to use the planets
328
00:18:34,013 --> 00:18:35,458
and to use their gravity
329
00:18:35,482 --> 00:18:38,094
to slingshot us through space
330
00:18:38,118 --> 00:18:40,596
on a different trajectory,
with more speed,
331
00:18:40,620 --> 00:18:42,098
in order to be able
to get to the comet.
332
00:18:42,122 --> 00:18:45,267
♪♪
333
00:18:45,291 --> 00:18:48,003
We were really
launched very fast,
334
00:18:48,027 --> 00:18:50,239
but getting very far
from the sun.
335
00:18:50,263 --> 00:18:58,263
♪♪
336
00:18:58,671 --> 00:19:02,952
We could not keep all
the systems on board active
337
00:19:02,976 --> 00:19:05,321
because the illumination
of our solar panels
338
00:19:05,345 --> 00:19:06,722
was getting very weak.
339
00:19:06,746 --> 00:19:12,094
♪♪
340
00:19:12,118 --> 00:19:15,097
So the decision was made,
in fact, to turn it off.
341
00:19:15,121 --> 00:19:20,169
♪♪
342
00:19:20,193 --> 00:19:22,671
I hated that concept
from the very beginning.
343
00:19:22,695 --> 00:19:24,273
I'd been fighting it for years.
344
00:19:24,297 --> 00:19:25,908
I was convinced
we would never do it.
345
00:19:25,932 --> 00:19:27,076
It was too crazy.
346
00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:28,744
♪♪
347
00:19:28,768 --> 00:19:32,948
Switching off the radio signal
is like cutting a vital link.
348
00:19:32,972 --> 00:19:34,783
♪♪
349
00:19:34,807 --> 00:19:37,253
Accomazzo: You've been flying
a spacecraft for seven years.
350
00:19:37,277 --> 00:19:40,089
It's at hundreds of millions
of kilometers away
351
00:19:40,113 --> 00:19:41,390
and what do you do?
You send the command
352
00:19:41,414 --> 00:19:43,259
to switch it off and wake it up
three years later.
353
00:19:43,283 --> 00:19:45,361
It just doesn't make sense
354
00:19:45,385 --> 00:19:46,595
and this is what we did.
355
00:19:46,619 --> 00:19:53,936
♪♪
356
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:58,607
We spent two and a half years
without contact
357
00:19:58,631 --> 00:20:00,609
and we waited.
358
00:20:00,633 --> 00:20:04,947
♪♪
359
00:20:04,971 --> 00:20:08,150
Mccaughrean: We couldn't talk
to it while it was in hibernation.
360
00:20:08,174 --> 00:20:09,618
We needed it to wake up...
361
00:20:09,642 --> 00:20:11,053
[ Ticking ]
362
00:20:11,077 --> 00:20:14,990
...which it was due to do
on the 20th of January 2014.
363
00:20:15,014 --> 00:20:16,358
[ Cacophony of ticking ]
364
00:20:16,382 --> 00:20:19,295
[ Ringing ] Man: 3, 2, 1.
365
00:20:19,319 --> 00:20:21,430
Wake up! [ Alarm blaring ]
366
00:20:21,454 --> 00:20:22,731
[ Echoing ] Wake up! Wake up!
367
00:20:22,755 --> 00:20:24,288
Wake up! Wake up!
- Okay, good.
368
00:20:26,692 --> 00:20:30,072
We were sitting all
in the control room,
369
00:20:30,096 --> 00:20:32,408
waiting for the signal to come.
370
00:20:32,432 --> 00:20:36,912
And this was probably the most
tense moment of the mission.
371
00:20:36,936 --> 00:20:39,081
♪♪
372
00:20:39,105 --> 00:20:41,317
This was everything or nothing.
373
00:20:41,341 --> 00:20:42,785
It was life-or-death.
374
00:20:42,809 --> 00:20:47,623
[ Ticking ]
375
00:20:47,647 --> 00:20:51,894
Accomazzo: It was building
up tension at that stage.
376
00:20:51,918 --> 00:20:53,229
"Why it's not coming?"
377
00:20:53,253 --> 00:20:59,368
♪♪
378
00:20:59,392 --> 00:21:02,004
Ferri: It was very
difficult to bear.
379
00:21:02,028 --> 00:21:04,707
♪♪
380
00:21:04,731 --> 00:21:07,443
We started really
getting worried.
381
00:21:07,467 --> 00:21:09,878
♪♪
382
00:21:09,902 --> 00:21:11,347
Have we lost the mission?
383
00:21:11,371 --> 00:21:15,573
♪♪
384
00:21:17,609 --> 00:21:20,489
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
385
00:21:20,513 --> 00:21:22,280
Man: Cinq, quatre.
386
00:21:26,652 --> 00:21:30,566
Parker: To do all of
that in one mission
387
00:21:30,590 --> 00:21:33,102
is incredibly gutsy.
388
00:21:33,126 --> 00:21:35,671
♪♪
389
00:21:35,695 --> 00:21:38,874
Mccaughrean: We couldn't talk
to it while it was in hibernation.
390
00:21:38,898 --> 00:21:40,409
We needed it to wake up...
391
00:21:40,433 --> 00:21:41,744
[ Ticking ]
392
00:21:41,768 --> 00:21:45,681
...which it was due to do
on the 20th of January 2014.
393
00:21:45,705 --> 00:21:47,182
♪♪
394
00:21:47,206 --> 00:21:49,685
It was building up
tension at that stage.
395
00:21:49,709 --> 00:21:50,953
"Why it's not coming?"
396
00:21:50,977 --> 00:21:56,981
♪♪
397
00:21:59,151 --> 00:22:01,430
Mccaughrean: Then,
suddenly, the signal came.
398
00:22:01,454 --> 00:22:04,166
[ Cheering, whistling,
and applause ]
399
00:22:04,190 --> 00:22:07,269
Ferri: When the signal came
was a big relief for me, personally.
400
00:22:07,293 --> 00:22:10,039
There was an explosion of joy.
401
00:22:10,063 --> 00:22:14,410
A little blip
on a noise spectrum told us
402
00:22:14,434 --> 00:22:16,512
that it was there
and it was calling home.
403
00:22:16,536 --> 00:22:22,184
♪♪
404
00:22:22,208 --> 00:22:23,619
Accomazzo: We made it.
405
00:22:23,643 --> 00:22:25,888
Yes, yes. [ Laughs ]
406
00:22:25,912 --> 00:22:29,124
That's a big success
for everybody.
407
00:22:29,148 --> 00:22:30,959
Mccaughrean:
We have it. We're ready.
408
00:22:30,983 --> 00:22:33,362
We now have the spacecraft back.
409
00:22:33,386 --> 00:22:34,863
We can go and do the rest
of this mission
410
00:22:34,887 --> 00:22:36,165
and finally get to the comet.
411
00:22:36,189 --> 00:22:39,401
[ Cheering and applause ]
412
00:22:39,425 --> 00:22:43,272
♪♪
413
00:22:43,296 --> 00:22:45,040
But, now, the mission
starts because, now,
414
00:22:45,064 --> 00:22:47,810
we have to get to the comet,
fly around the comet,
415
00:22:47,834 --> 00:22:49,678
orbit the comet,
and land on the comet,
416
00:22:49,702 --> 00:22:51,246
all within the next 10 months.
417
00:22:51,270 --> 00:22:55,417
♪♪
418
00:22:55,441 --> 00:22:59,021
Parker: Rosetta took
10 years from launch
419
00:22:59,045 --> 00:23:01,190
'til we finally got
to the target
420
00:23:01,214 --> 00:23:02,658
that we were going to study.
421
00:23:02,682 --> 00:23:05,928
♪♪
422
00:23:05,952 --> 00:23:08,731
The comet we ended up
deciding to go to
423
00:23:08,755 --> 00:23:11,500
was 67p/churyumov-gerasimenko.
424
00:23:11,524 --> 00:23:16,438
♪♪
425
00:23:16,462 --> 00:23:19,808
At the beginning, the comet
was just a very small dot.
426
00:23:19,832 --> 00:23:22,845
♪♪
427
00:23:22,869 --> 00:23:24,947
And then, day by day,
the comet was growing
428
00:23:24,971 --> 00:23:26,448
in the field of view
of the camera.
429
00:23:26,472 --> 00:23:34,472
♪♪
430
00:23:34,747 --> 00:23:41,864
♪♪
431
00:23:41,888 --> 00:23:44,800
Ferri:
We saw this incredible shape.
432
00:23:44,824 --> 00:23:47,770
Some people have described it
as a rubber duck.
433
00:23:47,794 --> 00:23:54,710
♪♪
434
00:23:54,734 --> 00:23:57,913
♪♪
435
00:23:57,937 --> 00:24:02,584
Parker: Comet 67p is
about four kilometers in size.
436
00:24:02,608 --> 00:24:06,588
♪♪
437
00:24:06,612 --> 00:24:09,825
If you were standing
on the bottom of the comet,
438
00:24:09,849 --> 00:24:13,262
you might see a flat,
dusty plain.
439
00:24:13,286 --> 00:24:16,064
♪♪
440
00:24:16,088 --> 00:24:18,233
If you were standing
on the head of the comet,
441
00:24:18,257 --> 00:24:21,136
it might look more rocky.
442
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,739
If you were standing
on the neck of the comet,
443
00:24:23,763 --> 00:24:26,975
you would be
in this interesting valley,
444
00:24:26,999 --> 00:24:30,679
kilometer-high cliffs
on either side,
445
00:24:30,703 --> 00:24:35,250
and running along the neck,
between your legs,
446
00:24:35,274 --> 00:24:37,286
is a huge crack.
447
00:24:37,310 --> 00:24:40,022
♪♪
448
00:24:40,046 --> 00:24:44,860
There are so many different
types of surfaces and variety,
449
00:24:44,884 --> 00:24:47,329
you could spend
the rest of your life
450
00:24:47,353 --> 00:24:49,364
exploring every little
part of the comet
451
00:24:49,388 --> 00:24:51,800
and not see the same type
of thing twice.
452
00:24:51,824 --> 00:24:59,174
♪♪
453
00:24:59,198 --> 00:25:00,776
The first thing I thought was,
454
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:02,600
"we're never going
to land on that thing."
455
00:25:05,637 --> 00:25:11,019
Accomazzo: It was the morning
of the 12th of November 2004.
456
00:25:11,043 --> 00:25:14,857
There was excitement, but also
tension for the upcoming events.
457
00:25:14,881 --> 00:25:16,158
♪♪
458
00:25:16,182 --> 00:25:18,961
Great news.
We are go from the lander.
459
00:25:18,985 --> 00:25:20,496
The commands
have already been sent
460
00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,598
now, we just have
to wait for separation.
461
00:25:22,622 --> 00:25:30,622
♪♪
462
00:25:30,696 --> 00:25:33,775
Ferri: Rosetta just
pushed very gently away.
463
00:25:33,799 --> 00:25:36,245
It was like pushing it
really like this.
464
00:25:36,269 --> 00:25:38,881
18 centimeters per second
is nothing, like this.
465
00:25:38,905 --> 00:25:46,855
♪♪
466
00:25:46,879 --> 00:25:52,394
♪♪
467
00:25:52,418 --> 00:25:54,363
The fall lasted seven hours.
468
00:25:54,387 --> 00:25:57,366
♪♪
469
00:25:57,390 --> 00:26:00,869
They could get the images
of philae getting closer
470
00:26:00,893 --> 00:26:02,671
to the surface,
during the descent.
471
00:26:02,695 --> 00:26:05,707
♪♪
472
00:26:05,731 --> 00:26:08,644
[ Cheering, whistling,
and applause ]
473
00:26:08,668 --> 00:26:12,314
♪♪
474
00:26:12,338 --> 00:26:14,049
Mccaughrean:
As we got closer and closer,
475
00:26:14,073 --> 00:26:16,151
you know,
the tension began to rise.
476
00:26:16,175 --> 00:26:22,157
♪♪
477
00:26:22,181 --> 00:26:25,527
I was looking at the data
coming from philae.
478
00:26:25,551 --> 00:26:29,131
I wanted philae
to survive the landing.
479
00:26:29,155 --> 00:26:31,099
So I was just staring
at the screen,
480
00:26:31,123 --> 00:26:32,534
seeing this data coming.
481
00:26:32,558 --> 00:26:37,806
♪♪
482
00:26:37,830 --> 00:26:40,742
Accomazzo: We actually saw
several subsystems activating.
483
00:26:40,766 --> 00:26:46,882
♪♪
484
00:26:46,906 --> 00:26:49,818
Ferri: We got the information
that it had reached the surface.
485
00:26:49,842 --> 00:26:52,921
[ Cheering, whistling,
and applause ]
486
00:26:52,945 --> 00:27:00,945
♪♪
487
00:27:03,022 --> 00:27:10,072
♪♪
488
00:27:10,096 --> 00:27:12,407
We definitely confirmed that
the lander is on the surface
489
00:27:12,431 --> 00:27:15,210
and I leave it to Stephan.
I think it's up to him to judge
490
00:27:15,234 --> 00:27:16,845
how it's going now
on the lander.
491
00:27:16,869 --> 00:27:18,313
We were in a major success.
492
00:27:18,337 --> 00:27:20,749
We had landed on a comet.
493
00:27:20,773 --> 00:27:22,784
Accomazzo: This was
the moment of the mission.
494
00:27:22,808 --> 00:27:24,620
This was a huge success.
495
00:27:24,644 --> 00:27:26,455
We are sitting on the surface
496
00:27:26,479 --> 00:27:28,156
philae's talking to us.
497
00:27:28,180 --> 00:27:29,725
More data to come.
498
00:27:29,749 --> 00:27:32,928
[ Cheering and whistling
intensify ]
499
00:27:32,952 --> 00:27:34,363
Philae started taking pictures,
500
00:27:34,387 --> 00:27:36,098
taking measurements,
doing its jobs.
501
00:27:36,122 --> 00:27:38,355
"I'm on the surface, yeah.
I touched down."
502
00:27:42,193 --> 00:27:45,407
[ Camera shutter clicking ] Yes, it
had touched down on the surface,
503
00:27:45,431 --> 00:27:47,442
but it hadn't stopped moving.
504
00:27:47,466 --> 00:27:48,510
It's the redundant one.
505
00:27:48,534 --> 00:27:50,145
The nominal one, one three.
506
00:27:50,169 --> 00:27:53,782
Nominal is one three eight five.
507
00:27:53,806 --> 00:27:56,018
♪♪
508
00:27:56,042 --> 00:27:58,520
It took us 10 to 15 minutes
509
00:27:58,544 --> 00:28:00,489
to realize that
something was wrong.
510
00:28:00,513 --> 00:28:03,225
This one is not going
down, though.
511
00:28:03,249 --> 00:28:05,794
The lander, the
elevation did not go down.
512
00:28:05,818 --> 00:28:08,063
The same resolution.
It's probably due to --
513
00:28:08,087 --> 00:28:12,100
Accomazzo: We realized that
the radio signal was not stable.
514
00:28:12,124 --> 00:28:13,669
It couldn't have been
on the surface.
515
00:28:13,693 --> 00:28:17,239
It was definitely lifted up
and flying again.
516
00:28:17,263 --> 00:28:18,607
How far is it going to bounce?
517
00:28:18,631 --> 00:28:20,242
It's going to bounce.
518
00:28:20,266 --> 00:28:22,444
I said, "it's not possible.
It cannot be."
519
00:28:22,468 --> 00:28:24,346
♪♪
520
00:28:24,370 --> 00:28:26,148
Quite quickly,
people began to realize
521
00:28:26,172 --> 00:28:27,416
we must've bounced.
522
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:33,822
♪♪
523
00:28:33,846 --> 00:28:34,990
It bounced.
524
00:28:35,014 --> 00:28:37,225
It had a very long travel...
525
00:28:37,249 --> 00:28:38,894
[ Static crackles, beep ]
526
00:28:38,918 --> 00:28:40,796
And then, it hit
the edge of a cliff,
527
00:28:40,820 --> 00:28:44,266
[ static crackling ]
Started tumbling.
528
00:28:44,290 --> 00:28:45,634
Ferri: We were scared to death.
529
00:28:45,658 --> 00:28:46,990
♪♪
530
00:28:49,327 --> 00:28:51,373
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
531
00:28:51,397 --> 00:28:55,477
♪♪
532
00:28:55,501 --> 00:28:57,012
We were in a major success.
533
00:28:57,036 --> 00:28:58,480
We had landed on a comet.
534
00:28:58,504 --> 00:29:00,816
[ Laughing ] [ Applause ]
535
00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:03,351
It took us 10 to 15 minutes
536
00:29:03,375 --> 00:29:05,120
to realize that
something was wrong.
537
00:29:05,144 --> 00:29:07,089
This one is not going
down, though.
538
00:29:07,113 --> 00:29:08,724
It hit the edge of a cliff...
539
00:29:08,748 --> 00:29:10,992
[ Static crackling ]
540
00:29:11,016 --> 00:29:12,327
...started tumbling.
541
00:29:12,351 --> 00:29:14,429
♪♪
542
00:29:14,453 --> 00:29:15,630
Ferri: We were scared to death.
543
00:29:15,654 --> 00:29:18,767
My fear was we are going
to lose the contact now
544
00:29:18,791 --> 00:29:20,469
and, if we lose the contact,
that's it.
545
00:29:20,493 --> 00:29:22,838
This is the end
of the mission of philae.
546
00:29:22,862 --> 00:29:29,377
♪♪
547
00:29:29,401 --> 00:29:31,980
Mccaughrean: And then,
finally, after two hours,
548
00:29:32,004 --> 00:29:34,783
it touched down
in a very dark place.
549
00:29:34,807 --> 00:29:38,854
♪♪
550
00:29:38,878 --> 00:29:40,522
Then, I found out later,
551
00:29:40,546 --> 00:29:42,624
the signal
was abruptly interrupted
552
00:29:42,648 --> 00:29:44,493
and philae wouldn't
transmit anymore.
553
00:29:44,517 --> 00:29:47,729
♪♪
554
00:29:47,753 --> 00:29:50,599
We haven't the faintest idea
when the signal would come back.
555
00:29:50,623 --> 00:29:58,406
♪♪
556
00:29:58,430 --> 00:30:00,008
When I came in in the morning,
557
00:30:00,032 --> 00:30:02,244
we see alarms coming
into the control system
558
00:30:02,268 --> 00:30:03,779
and it's the signal of philae.
559
00:30:03,803 --> 00:30:09,017
♪♪
560
00:30:09,041 --> 00:30:10,852
This little baby
had been surviving
561
00:30:10,876 --> 00:30:12,354
on the surface of the comet.
562
00:30:12,378 --> 00:30:15,290
♪♪
563
00:30:15,314 --> 00:30:17,859
So we started receiving data.
Guess what we get.
564
00:30:17,883 --> 00:30:19,795
The first image of the
surface of the comet.
565
00:30:19,819 --> 00:30:22,330
Here, real-time, we saw it
real-time, coming in.
566
00:30:22,354 --> 00:30:29,070
♪♪
567
00:30:29,094 --> 00:30:32,440
♪♪
568
00:30:32,464 --> 00:30:33,608
This is just fantastic.
569
00:30:33,632 --> 00:30:35,844
It's something that happens
once in our life.
570
00:30:35,868 --> 00:30:41,850
♪♪
571
00:30:41,874 --> 00:30:43,685
You see the surface
of the comet.
572
00:30:43,709 --> 00:30:46,421
You see a portion of the leg
573
00:30:46,445 --> 00:30:48,423
and you have the feeling that
there is something odd.
574
00:30:48,447 --> 00:30:52,861
Indeed, we found philae
was tilted on its side,
575
00:30:52,885 --> 00:30:55,330
but it was just the surface
of the comet.
576
00:30:55,354 --> 00:31:03,138
♪♪
577
00:31:03,162 --> 00:31:07,509
♪♪
578
00:31:07,533 --> 00:31:09,678
The images came back
and it was then
579
00:31:09,702 --> 00:31:11,513
that we realized
that we were in this place
580
00:31:11,537 --> 00:31:13,582
that was almost
completely shady.
581
00:31:13,606 --> 00:31:17,586
♪♪
582
00:31:17,610 --> 00:31:21,122
Ferri: It was in a dark
area, so it would have not
583
00:31:21,146 --> 00:31:23,425
had the chance
to recharge the batteries.
584
00:31:23,449 --> 00:31:26,094
♪♪
585
00:31:26,118 --> 00:31:27,462
We knew then that we were going
586
00:31:27,486 --> 00:31:29,297
to run out of power
after three days.
587
00:31:29,321 --> 00:31:31,700
♪♪
588
00:31:31,724 --> 00:31:35,470
The whole three days
on the comet
589
00:31:35,494 --> 00:31:40,175
were certainly three of the most
incredible days of my life.
590
00:31:40,199 --> 00:31:45,947
♪♪
591
00:31:45,971 --> 00:31:49,784
When you see the images,
you get this very strong feeling
592
00:31:49,808 --> 00:31:53,221
you are on a completely
new world.
593
00:31:53,245 --> 00:31:55,523
You are seeing a new world
for the first time.
594
00:31:55,547 --> 00:32:00,095
♪♪
595
00:32:00,119 --> 00:32:04,666
The formations were really
totally unexpected.
596
00:32:04,690 --> 00:32:07,302
♪♪
597
00:32:07,326 --> 00:32:10,605
Fractal geometries.
598
00:32:10,629 --> 00:32:13,608
Ruptures everywhere,
at every dimension,
599
00:32:13,632 --> 00:32:15,911
from millimeters to centimeters.
600
00:32:15,935 --> 00:32:19,014
♪♪
601
00:32:19,038 --> 00:32:24,019
It gives you the impression
of how the surface suffers.
602
00:32:24,043 --> 00:32:25,954
The extreme variation
of temperatures
603
00:32:25,978 --> 00:32:28,657
by getting close to the sun
and then back away.
604
00:32:28,681 --> 00:32:31,493
It's a continual thermal stress.
605
00:32:31,517 --> 00:32:32,961
♪♪
606
00:32:32,985 --> 00:32:36,231
After three days,
it was Friday afternoon.
607
00:32:36,255 --> 00:32:38,867
It was clear that the battery
was getting to the end.
608
00:32:38,891 --> 00:32:40,435
♪♪
609
00:32:40,459 --> 00:32:44,739
You could see philae fading out
during the night,
610
00:32:44,763 --> 00:32:45,907
during the last contact.
611
00:32:45,931 --> 00:32:53,915
♪♪
612
00:32:53,939 --> 00:32:55,183
But if we look carefully,
613
00:32:55,207 --> 00:32:57,319
the bulk of the scientific
mission of rosetta
614
00:32:57,343 --> 00:32:59,587
still had to come
because we flew there
615
00:32:59,611 --> 00:33:02,457
to follow the comet
in its orbit around the sun.
616
00:33:02,481 --> 00:33:07,162
♪♪
617
00:33:07,186 --> 00:33:09,431
The comet's getting close
to the sun.
618
00:33:09,455 --> 00:33:11,032
♪♪
619
00:33:11,056 --> 00:33:13,668
Its activity
increased significantly.
620
00:33:13,692 --> 00:33:18,707
♪♪
621
00:33:18,731 --> 00:33:21,042
Ferri: We could really
see how the surface
622
00:33:21,066 --> 00:33:23,878
is completely revolutioned
by the sun.
623
00:33:23,902 --> 00:33:26,314
♪♪
624
00:33:26,338 --> 00:33:27,615
There were explosions.
625
00:33:27,639 --> 00:33:34,622
♪♪
626
00:33:34,646 --> 00:33:39,160
Holes observed in the surface
with a underground structure,
627
00:33:39,184 --> 00:33:41,930
which is still, today,
totally unexplained.
628
00:33:41,954 --> 00:33:48,970
♪♪
629
00:33:48,994 --> 00:33:52,073
There were landslides
that we have observed.
630
00:33:52,097 --> 00:33:58,947
♪♪
631
00:33:58,971 --> 00:34:02,317
You could see jets,
gas jets, fountains,
632
00:34:02,341 --> 00:34:03,651
coming out of the comet.
633
00:34:03,675 --> 00:34:06,054
♪♪
634
00:34:06,078 --> 00:34:09,190
You could see, actually,
like snowstorms
635
00:34:09,214 --> 00:34:10,825
going around the comet.
636
00:34:10,849 --> 00:34:17,332
♪♪
637
00:34:17,356 --> 00:34:21,069
♪♪
638
00:34:21,093 --> 00:34:24,672
Parker: So, on rosetta,
we had a dozen instruments
639
00:34:24,696 --> 00:34:27,842
and not all of these
instruments take pictures.
640
00:34:27,866 --> 00:34:29,744
♪♪
641
00:34:29,768 --> 00:34:31,579
They get data in different ways,
642
00:34:31,603 --> 00:34:36,251
such as the spectrum
or measuring molecules.
643
00:34:36,275 --> 00:34:37,752
♪♪
644
00:34:37,776 --> 00:34:40,221
Squiggly-line data.
645
00:34:40,245 --> 00:34:43,758
And those squiggly-line data
646
00:34:43,782 --> 00:34:46,194
can sometimes have
much more information
647
00:34:46,218 --> 00:34:47,629
than the pictures do.
648
00:34:47,653 --> 00:34:50,532
♪♪
649
00:34:50,556 --> 00:34:52,634
The rosetta instrument
found that there is
650
00:34:52,658 --> 00:34:56,071
molecular oxygen trapped
into the nucleus of the comet.
651
00:34:56,095 --> 00:34:57,705
♪♪
652
00:34:57,729 --> 00:35:00,208
Molecular oxygen
couldn't have survived
653
00:35:00,232 --> 00:35:02,977
the formation
of the solar system,
654
00:35:03,001 --> 00:35:05,980
therefore, it means that it was
inside the nucleus of the comet
655
00:35:06,004 --> 00:35:08,183
before the formation
of the solar system.
656
00:35:08,207 --> 00:35:10,819
♪♪
657
00:35:10,843 --> 00:35:12,954
Parker: We were
able to see molecules,
658
00:35:12,978 --> 00:35:16,324
some of which
had never been seen before.
659
00:35:16,348 --> 00:35:19,260
For instance, glycine,
the amino acid,
660
00:35:19,284 --> 00:35:22,097
a building block of life.
661
00:35:22,121 --> 00:35:25,133
Accomazzo: And if the oxygen
was trapped in the nucleus
662
00:35:25,157 --> 00:35:27,068
before the formation
of the solar system,
663
00:35:27,092 --> 00:35:30,605
then, also, the amino acids
were trapped there.
664
00:35:30,629 --> 00:35:33,074
If these two things, which are
the ingredients of life,
665
00:35:33,098 --> 00:35:35,810
were trapped there before the
formation of the solar system,
666
00:35:35,834 --> 00:35:37,712
they are not specific
to our solar system,
667
00:35:37,736 --> 00:35:40,715
so the likelihood
that life has formed
668
00:35:40,739 --> 00:35:41,950
somewhere else as well.
669
00:35:41,974 --> 00:35:43,807
♪♪
670
00:35:45,743 --> 00:35:47,789
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
671
00:35:47,813 --> 00:35:52,127
♪♪
672
00:35:52,151 --> 00:35:55,763
So, on rosetta,
we had a dozen instruments
673
00:35:55,787 --> 00:35:59,067
and not all of these
instruments take pictures.
674
00:35:59,091 --> 00:36:01,002
♪♪
675
00:36:01,026 --> 00:36:03,204
They get data in different ways.
676
00:36:03,228 --> 00:36:06,508
♪♪
677
00:36:06,532 --> 00:36:08,643
We were able to see molecules,
678
00:36:08,667 --> 00:36:12,013
some of which
had never been seen before.
679
00:36:12,037 --> 00:36:14,916
For instance, glycine,
the amino acid,
680
00:36:14,940 --> 00:36:16,651
a building block of life.
681
00:36:16,675 --> 00:36:21,178
♪♪
682
00:36:26,784 --> 00:36:30,064
♪♪
683
00:36:30,088 --> 00:36:33,701
Ferri: This confirmation
is very important
684
00:36:33,725 --> 00:36:36,504
because it shows that comets
could have been the objects
685
00:36:36,528 --> 00:36:39,874
that brought the components
of life onto earth.
686
00:36:39,898 --> 00:36:45,380
♪♪
687
00:36:45,404 --> 00:36:49,884
♪♪
688
00:36:49,908 --> 00:36:53,888
As we had been with the comet
for more than two years,
689
00:36:53,912 --> 00:36:56,124
we were moving back out again
away from the sun.
690
00:36:56,148 --> 00:36:57,892
♪♪
691
00:36:57,916 --> 00:37:01,563
Accomazzo: The mission had
accomplished all the results.
692
00:37:01,587 --> 00:37:04,132
Nobody had thought about how
to finish the mission.
693
00:37:04,156 --> 00:37:08,102
♪♪
694
00:37:08,126 --> 00:37:09,437
Ferri: Shall we hibernate again,
695
00:37:09,461 --> 00:37:12,540
taking the risk
of a much longer hibernation?
696
00:37:12,564 --> 00:37:13,641
♪♪
697
00:37:13,665 --> 00:37:15,577
Shall we switch it off
in September,
698
00:37:15,601 --> 00:37:17,545
that's it, bye-bye, rosetta?
699
00:37:17,569 --> 00:37:20,381
♪♪
700
00:37:20,405 --> 00:37:22,684
Then, we propose to land
701
00:37:22,708 --> 00:37:24,252
with the mother ship
on the comet.
702
00:37:24,276 --> 00:37:25,887
It's not designed for landing,
703
00:37:25,911 --> 00:37:27,989
but this was taken
as a good idea
704
00:37:28,013 --> 00:37:31,359
because this would allow us
to observe and measure
705
00:37:31,383 --> 00:37:33,695
the last few kilometers,
where we had never been.
706
00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:36,064
♪♪
707
00:37:36,088 --> 00:37:38,366
Mccaughrean: The decision
was, indeed, taken to say,
708
00:37:38,390 --> 00:37:39,901
"let's go down. Let's do it."
709
00:37:39,925 --> 00:37:42,670
♪♪
710
00:37:42,694 --> 00:37:44,872
Parker: And so we
got closer and closer,
711
00:37:44,896 --> 00:37:47,408
getting more
and more detailed images
712
00:37:47,432 --> 00:37:49,143
than we had ever had before.
713
00:37:49,167 --> 00:37:54,949
♪♪
714
00:37:54,973 --> 00:37:59,254
Only a few days before the
end of the mission...
715
00:37:59,278 --> 00:38:03,491
Right there, at the edge
of the image, was a shape.
716
00:38:03,515 --> 00:38:05,893
You could see there,
in a sort of crack
717
00:38:05,917 --> 00:38:09,964
in between some rocks
on the comet, in shadow.
718
00:38:09,988 --> 00:38:12,800
Finally, we got a picture
of philae
719
00:38:12,824 --> 00:38:14,302
on the surface of the comet.
720
00:38:14,326 --> 00:38:20,975
♪♪
721
00:38:20,999 --> 00:38:23,711
Good morning. Morgen. Bonjour.
722
00:38:23,735 --> 00:38:25,346
Bienvenue, welcome,
723
00:38:25,370 --> 00:38:27,015
for rosetta's grand finale.
724
00:38:27,039 --> 00:38:28,316
We are here, live,
725
00:38:28,340 --> 00:38:31,219
in rosetta control room
at esoc in Germany.
726
00:38:31,243 --> 00:38:32,987
So, by this point in September,
727
00:38:33,011 --> 00:38:36,024
we had planned to put rosetta
down onto the comet.
728
00:38:36,048 --> 00:38:38,726
Woman:
It is a special day today.
729
00:38:38,750 --> 00:38:42,530
The European space agency's
comet-chasing rosetta mission
730
00:38:42,554 --> 00:38:43,765
is coming to an end.
731
00:38:43,789 --> 00:38:45,033
It will be the end of a mission
732
00:38:45,057 --> 00:38:50,305
that lasted 4,595 days in space.
733
00:38:50,329 --> 00:38:55,009
Everything we had put into this,
in terms of the human story,
734
00:38:55,033 --> 00:38:59,514
but the science,
this several-decade-long effort
735
00:38:59,538 --> 00:39:03,217
was coming to an end
and we were choosing to do it.
736
00:39:03,241 --> 00:39:05,420
And even sitting here, now,
several years later,
737
00:39:05,444 --> 00:39:07,221
I mean, it brings back
those emotions.
738
00:39:07,245 --> 00:39:09,691
♪♪
739
00:39:09,715 --> 00:39:13,328
We commanded the spacecraft
to do the final plunge
740
00:39:13,352 --> 00:39:15,530
down to the surface
of the comet.
741
00:39:15,554 --> 00:39:18,700
♪♪
742
00:39:18,724 --> 00:39:23,004
Woman: The spacecraft is
taking images during the descent.
743
00:39:23,028 --> 00:39:30,878
♪♪
744
00:39:30,902 --> 00:39:33,448
Ferri: We could see some of the
images and we could see the surface
745
00:39:33,472 --> 00:39:36,317
coming closer and closer
and time passing by
746
00:39:36,341 --> 00:39:39,253
and we knew that the mission
was coming to an end.
747
00:39:39,277 --> 00:39:46,994
♪♪
748
00:39:47,018 --> 00:39:49,030
Parker:
It got closer and closer.
749
00:39:49,054 --> 00:39:51,566
♪♪
750
00:39:51,590 --> 00:39:52,834
'Til, finally...
751
00:39:52,858 --> 00:39:57,372
♪♪
752
00:39:57,396 --> 00:39:59,574
...we lost contact.
753
00:39:59,598 --> 00:40:01,042
And that was the end of rosetta.
754
00:40:01,066 --> 00:40:09,066
♪♪
755
00:40:09,641 --> 00:40:13,054
When the signal shut down
on that day,
756
00:40:13,078 --> 00:40:14,188
people were shellshocked.
757
00:40:14,212 --> 00:40:17,191
I mean, even though
they knew it was coming.
758
00:40:17,215 --> 00:40:18,693
But I remember walking
around the corridors,
759
00:40:18,717 --> 00:40:21,262
people just leaning
up against walls,
760
00:40:21,286 --> 00:40:23,064
just staring into the distance.
761
00:40:23,088 --> 00:40:29,203
♪♪
762
00:40:29,227 --> 00:40:31,906
It was -- yeah, I mean,
it's something
763
00:40:31,930 --> 00:40:34,275
[ crying ] Those of us who
were involved will never forget.
764
00:40:34,299 --> 00:40:42,299
♪♪
765
00:40:43,608 --> 00:40:46,220
♪♪
766
00:40:46,244 --> 00:40:48,289
It was --
767
00:40:48,313 --> 00:40:49,524
It was quite an adventure.
768
00:40:49,548 --> 00:40:57,548
♪♪
769
00:40:58,123 --> 00:41:01,803
Our understanding
of how asteroids and comets
770
00:41:01,827 --> 00:41:07,141
might contribute
to our existence --
771
00:41:07,165 --> 00:41:10,111
We know the kind of rocks
that appear on the surface.
772
00:41:10,135 --> 00:41:12,113
We know the minerals
in those rocks.
773
00:41:12,137 --> 00:41:14,382
We know about the
organic molecules.
774
00:41:14,406 --> 00:41:16,050
We know about the water.
775
00:41:16,074 --> 00:41:18,653
None of these things,
we would've learned
776
00:41:18,677 --> 00:41:22,123
by looking at asteroids
and comets from a distance.
777
00:41:22,147 --> 00:41:23,825
♪♪
778
00:41:23,849 --> 00:41:26,060
Each time we further
our knowledge,
779
00:41:26,084 --> 00:41:28,129
we get a little bit closer
780
00:41:28,153 --> 00:41:32,834
to the story of
"where did we come from?"
781
00:41:32,858 --> 00:41:39,674
♪♪
782
00:41:39,698 --> 00:41:47,698
♪♪
783
00:41:49,674 --> 00:41:57,674
♪♪
784
00:41:59,684 --> 00:42:03,152
♪♪