1 00:00:00,268 --> 00:00:02,935 (ominous music) 2 00:00:06,610 --> 00:00:08,690 What asteroids are are really 3 00:00:08,690 --> 00:00:11,783 remnants from when the solar system was forming. 4 00:00:14,010 --> 00:00:16,710 Comets are always seen as kind of the 5 00:00:16,710 --> 00:00:20,480 building blocks leftover from 6 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,380 the formation of the solar system 7 00:00:22,380 --> 00:00:24,243 four and a half billion years ago. 8 00:00:27,370 --> 00:00:30,160 Comets and asteroids retain the secrets 9 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,153 of the formation of our solar system. 10 00:00:33,220 --> 00:00:34,860 And also retain the secrets 11 00:00:34,860 --> 00:00:36,460 of the formation of our planets. 12 00:00:38,170 --> 00:00:39,658 (ominous music) 13 00:00:39,658 --> 00:00:41,960 (dinosaur roaring) 14 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:43,520 We also have to respect them 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,970 as something that could actually 16 00:00:45,970 --> 00:00:48,877 change our way of life even today. 17 00:00:48,877 --> 00:00:51,627 (exciting music) 18 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:55,910 We have high confidence that the dinosaurs 19 00:00:55,910 --> 00:00:58,760 were ended by a very large impact 20 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,677 of an asteroid on the earth. 21 00:01:01,677 --> 00:01:04,427 (exciting music) 22 00:01:05,670 --> 00:01:08,050 If a large enough asteroid were to hit the earth, 23 00:01:08,050 --> 00:01:09,613 it would be quite cataclysmic. 24 00:01:12,664 --> 00:01:15,010 (explosion booming) 25 00:01:15,010 --> 00:01:17,593 (music fading) 26 00:01:18,690 --> 00:01:19,800 Is there an imminent threat? 27 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:21,910 Is there a big one that's on the way? 28 00:01:21,910 --> 00:01:23,793 And the answer there is no. 29 00:01:24,939 --> 00:01:26,510 (sustained instrumental music) 30 00:01:26,510 --> 00:01:29,590 The impact frequency of a 10 kilometer asteroid 31 00:01:29,590 --> 00:01:30,920 which is about the size of 32 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:32,650 the body that killed the dinosaurs 33 00:01:32,650 --> 00:01:35,060 is every hundred million years. 34 00:01:35,060 --> 00:01:38,623 So it's very long compared to a human lifetime. 35 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:43,990 The good thing is that we are going to 36 00:01:43,990 --> 00:01:45,870 save the life of Bruce Willis, 37 00:01:45,870 --> 00:01:49,163 because we don't need him to save earth, fortunately. 38 00:01:50,358 --> 00:01:52,720 (slow piano music) 39 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,370 Impacts are not necessarily just bad things. 40 00:01:59,488 --> 00:02:01,730 The earth was very dry when it formed. 41 00:02:01,730 --> 00:02:04,580 There was hardly any water, there were hardly any carbon. 42 00:02:05,940 --> 00:02:07,160 And we think that most of that material 43 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,783 was actually delivered at a late stage by impact. 44 00:02:12,230 --> 00:02:17,136 So it's quite probable that the ingredients for life 45 00:02:17,136 --> 00:02:19,260 (seagulls cawing) 46 00:02:19,260 --> 00:02:22,293 were delivered by asteroids and comets. 47 00:02:24,970 --> 00:02:28,323 I want to learn in the end, how life evolved. 48 00:02:29,870 --> 00:02:31,730 Exploring comets and asteroids 49 00:02:31,730 --> 00:02:34,763 will tell us how life developed on our planet. 50 00:02:35,881 --> 00:02:39,713 (sustained piano music) 51 00:02:39,713 --> 00:02:42,546 (comet whooshing) 52 00:02:45,118 --> 00:02:49,720 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four-- 53 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,300 So the NEAR mission was designed and conceived 54 00:02:52,300 --> 00:02:54,260 so that it would actually show up at an asteroid, 55 00:02:54,260 --> 00:02:57,360 stop, be in close proximity to it 56 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,600 for an extended period of time. 57 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:00,433 One. 58 00:03:00,433 --> 00:03:02,220 Just to see what an asteroid was like. 59 00:03:02,220 --> 00:03:03,683 Zero, and liftoff. 60 00:03:04,730 --> 00:03:08,200 (rocket engines blasting) 61 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,250 NEAR launched in 1996. 62 00:03:10,250 --> 00:03:11,636 Temp and pressure rising 63 00:03:11,636 --> 00:03:12,930 in all six powered motors. 64 00:03:12,930 --> 00:03:14,510 And like all planetary missions, 65 00:03:14,510 --> 00:03:17,206 it takes a long time to reach the target. 66 00:03:17,206 --> 00:03:19,390 We'll trim the pressure on the management. 67 00:03:19,390 --> 00:03:20,940 So it didn't arrive at Eros 68 00:03:20,940 --> 00:03:23,490 until the 20th of December in 1998. 69 00:03:23,490 --> 00:03:25,160 We have a good engine control 70 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,954 in the main engine, good engine control in the rears-- 71 00:03:27,954 --> 00:03:29,624 (anticipatory music building) 72 00:03:29,624 --> 00:03:34,340 (music halting to a single note) 73 00:03:34,340 --> 00:03:36,410 As you fly into the body, 74 00:03:36,410 --> 00:03:38,060 you've never seen it before, 75 00:03:38,060 --> 00:03:41,054 and you start to see the images. 76 00:03:41,054 --> 00:03:44,387 (slow orchestral music) 77 00:03:46,810 --> 00:03:48,880 At first they're very fuzzy, 78 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,503 but then they come more and more into focus. 79 00:03:53,690 --> 00:03:56,903 And at every stage you're seeing new things. 80 00:04:00,820 --> 00:04:04,193 When you see these pictures, it's just awe. 81 00:04:07,540 --> 00:04:10,590 It looks like it's two asteroids 82 00:04:10,590 --> 00:04:12,750 that are just sort of resting on each other. 83 00:04:12,750 --> 00:04:15,870 And it's got this beautiful saddle regions 84 00:04:15,870 --> 00:04:17,760 where they sort of touch each other. 85 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,483 To me it's a very beautiful asteroid. 86 00:04:23,220 --> 00:04:27,866 It's got this beautiful shape and smooth curves. 87 00:04:27,866 --> 00:04:32,190 (sustained orchestral music) 88 00:04:32,190 --> 00:04:35,482 It's a very, almost sensual experience. 89 00:04:35,482 --> 00:04:38,690 (music building) 90 00:04:38,690 --> 00:04:40,220 That phase of the mission 91 00:04:40,220 --> 00:04:42,760 lasted from December 1998 92 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:44,803 all the way to February, 2001. 93 00:04:48,050 --> 00:04:51,050 The spacecraft was nearing the end of it's life, 94 00:04:51,050 --> 00:04:52,550 it couldn't fly back to earth. 95 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,240 The mission manager had people start studying, 96 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:58,660 well what would it take to actually 97 00:04:58,660 --> 00:05:01,260 bring the spacecraft down to the surface, 98 00:05:01,260 --> 00:05:03,720 to have a soft landing so that maybe 99 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,420 the spacecraft could even survive? 100 00:05:07,130 --> 00:05:09,370 When it was launched it was never designed 101 00:05:09,370 --> 00:05:11,123 to actually land on the surface. 102 00:05:12,170 --> 00:05:13,837 I remember thinking that, "There's no way 103 00:05:13,837 --> 00:05:15,570 "this is gonna work." 104 00:05:15,570 --> 00:05:18,870 We have successfully de-orbited around Eros, 105 00:05:18,870 --> 00:05:20,750 and we're on our way down. 106 00:05:20,750 --> 00:05:22,406 There's no turning back now. 107 00:05:22,406 --> 00:05:25,656 (piano music building) 108 00:05:30,493 --> 00:05:33,576 It was a complete success. 109 00:05:37,110 --> 00:05:41,050 I'm happy to report that the NEAR spacecraft 110 00:05:41,050 --> 00:05:44,590 has touched down on the surface of Eros. 111 00:05:44,590 --> 00:05:47,190 It landed, perched itself on the surface. 112 00:05:48,210 --> 00:05:49,200 It was quite exciting. 113 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,670 This is the first time that any spacecraft 114 00:05:51,670 --> 00:05:54,290 has landed on a small body. 115 00:05:54,290 --> 00:05:57,207 (group applauding) 116 00:05:58,630 --> 00:06:02,390 NEAR-Shoemaker was a forerunner of the later missions. 117 00:06:02,390 --> 00:06:04,340 It showed that it's possible 118 00:06:04,340 --> 00:06:06,423 to touch down on an asteroid. 119 00:06:08,410 --> 00:06:11,500 The next big target is to bring a piece 120 00:06:11,500 --> 00:06:12,563 back to earth. 121 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:15,273 Got it. 122 00:06:15,273 --> 00:06:16,950 Nope, it dropped. 123 00:06:16,950 --> 00:06:18,260 See if you can pick it up again. 124 00:06:18,260 --> 00:06:19,860 I think it'll fit in a bag, Jim. 125 00:06:21,710 --> 00:06:24,150 We went to the moon, we got lunar rocks, 126 00:06:24,150 --> 00:06:25,530 then brought them back to the earth, 127 00:06:25,530 --> 00:06:27,993 and have been analyzing them ever since. 128 00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:31,200 It allows us to understand 129 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,230 our own earth so much better. 130 00:06:33,230 --> 00:06:35,680 It's sort of like archeology of the solar system. 131 00:06:36,807 --> 00:06:38,880 (speaking in a foreign language) 132 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,420 So, Hayabusa set the stage 133 00:06:41,420 --> 00:06:43,673 to answer that next question. 134 00:06:43,673 --> 00:06:45,165 And ignition. 135 00:06:45,165 --> 00:06:46,445 (speaking in a foreign language) 136 00:06:46,445 --> 00:06:48,821 There shall be ignition and liftoff! 137 00:06:48,821 --> 00:06:49,740 (speaking in a foreign language) 138 00:06:49,740 --> 00:06:53,660 The Hayabusa mission was incredibly ambitious. 139 00:06:53,660 --> 00:06:55,520 JAXA, the Japanese space agency 140 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:59,340 wanted to send spacecraft to an asteroid, 141 00:06:59,340 --> 00:07:01,620 grab a piece, and bring it back to earth. 142 00:07:01,620 --> 00:07:04,023 The very first sample-return mission. 143 00:07:06,136 --> 00:07:08,060 (group applauding) 144 00:07:08,060 --> 00:07:09,190 That was really the first time 145 00:07:09,190 --> 00:07:11,810 that you had the (speaker mumbling) to try something. 146 00:07:11,810 --> 00:07:14,373 So you really have many, many, many unknown. 147 00:07:17,626 --> 00:07:18,833 Oh geez, it's crazy. 148 00:07:20,790 --> 00:07:22,490 It was a very ambitious mission. 149 00:07:24,670 --> 00:07:27,693 From the start it was also sort of a cursed mission. 150 00:07:30,339 --> 00:07:32,993 There was very big solar flare. 151 00:07:34,830 --> 00:07:37,860 It kick the solar panel over Hyabusa. 152 00:07:39,671 --> 00:07:43,100 The solar flare compromised their solar arrays 153 00:07:43,100 --> 00:07:44,940 so they had less power to push 154 00:07:44,940 --> 00:07:46,933 themselves on towards the asteroid. 155 00:07:48,460 --> 00:07:52,053 Furthermore, they were carrying some reaction wheels. 156 00:07:53,190 --> 00:07:54,727 Reaction wheels are used to 157 00:07:54,727 --> 00:07:58,333 stabilize a satellite, and one of them was damaged. 158 00:07:59,430 --> 00:08:01,800 That was also a very large complication 159 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,770 because it changed the whole way 160 00:08:03,770 --> 00:08:05,570 that they controlled the spacecraft. 161 00:08:07,470 --> 00:08:09,095 Space is harder. 162 00:08:09,095 --> 00:08:11,793 It's not a friendly environment. 163 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,980 When everything goes well, it's a miracle. 164 00:08:15,980 --> 00:08:17,880 Especially when you go to a new world. 165 00:08:24,260 --> 00:08:27,150 Took two years for Hayabusa One to reach Itokawa. 166 00:08:31,460 --> 00:08:33,163 The first images started to come. 167 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,870 When we saw the images of Itokawa, 168 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,060 we discovered 169 00:08:45,910 --> 00:08:48,502 really a new world. 170 00:08:48,502 --> 00:08:52,169 (orchestral music building) 171 00:08:57,670 --> 00:08:59,300 It's a new thing, it's a new image, 172 00:08:59,300 --> 00:09:01,567 a discovery, it's fantastic. 173 00:09:01,567 --> 00:09:03,383 It's really fantastic. 174 00:09:03,383 --> 00:09:06,716 (soft orchestral music) 175 00:09:13,123 --> 00:09:15,810 Hayabusa One is there to collect 176 00:09:15,810 --> 00:09:17,550 pieces of the asteroid. 177 00:09:17,550 --> 00:09:21,663 And that all begins on November the 5th, 2005. 178 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,413 The spacecraft went down to the surface. 179 00:09:33,850 --> 00:09:36,380 Spacecraft's gonna slowly come down to the surface, 180 00:09:36,380 --> 00:09:37,960 and then they have a funnel, 181 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,563 and that funnel touches down on the surface. 182 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,260 It would fire a projectile into the surface, 183 00:09:47,260 --> 00:09:49,240 and the debris comes up the funnel, 184 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,570 and it's then collected into the container. 185 00:09:52,570 --> 00:09:53,610 And then away it would go. 186 00:09:53,610 --> 00:09:54,860 So it was a touch and go. 187 00:09:57,350 --> 00:09:58,713 All this in one second. 188 00:10:01,608 --> 00:10:03,779 One second. 189 00:10:03,779 --> 00:10:07,090 So stroomp, one second, poomp, and then you're going. 190 00:10:07,090 --> 00:10:09,793 Well, actually it stayed 40 minutes on the surface. 191 00:10:13,197 --> 00:10:15,310 The dangerous thing is the 192 00:10:15,310 --> 00:10:19,023 surface temperature can destroy the spacecraft. 193 00:10:20,660 --> 00:10:22,010 That was really a panic, 194 00:10:22,010 --> 00:10:22,910 a source of panic. 195 00:10:24,610 --> 00:10:25,443 There was every danger. 196 00:10:25,443 --> 00:10:27,313 The projectile was not fired. 197 00:10:28,770 --> 00:10:32,040 So there was nothing to make that plume of dust 198 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:33,743 go up into the sample container. 199 00:10:36,780 --> 00:10:39,070 Eventually the spacecraft leaves the surface, 200 00:10:39,070 --> 00:10:39,980 and unfortunately there is 201 00:10:39,980 --> 00:10:42,143 now a leak in one of the fuel lines. 202 00:10:44,940 --> 00:10:47,830 There was a leak, we're generating the torque, 203 00:10:47,830 --> 00:10:50,724 so the space travel is really bad. 204 00:10:50,724 --> 00:10:54,420 (ominous rock music) 205 00:10:54,420 --> 00:10:56,263 When you're leaking material into space, 206 00:10:56,263 --> 00:10:58,080 it's like having another engine. 207 00:10:58,080 --> 00:10:59,013 It's like a jet. 208 00:10:59,950 --> 00:11:03,000 We had a very serious problems. 209 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,353 We couldn't control the spacecraft. 210 00:11:08,350 --> 00:11:09,633 What can we do? 211 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:13,640 Never run faster than when you have 212 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,513 a bull running after you. 213 00:11:16,628 --> 00:11:18,090 You have to find a solution, 214 00:11:18,090 --> 00:11:19,600 and when you are in an emergency 215 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,037 you find it in a much clever way. 216 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:25,653 We never gave up. 217 00:11:27,860 --> 00:11:30,770 Every time were able to find some solution 218 00:11:30,770 --> 00:11:32,623 to overcome our troubles. 219 00:11:34,910 --> 00:11:38,120 They were able to tell that in a few months 220 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,390 they would actually be able to get 221 00:11:40,390 --> 00:11:42,763 small commands into one of the antennas. 222 00:11:45,428 --> 00:11:49,330 Finally, we found how to operate the spacecraft. 223 00:11:50,540 --> 00:11:52,203 At that time, we are very happy. 224 00:11:59,950 --> 00:12:02,470 For Hayabusa, the struggles were not over. 225 00:12:02,470 --> 00:12:04,020 So it had to get back to earth. 226 00:12:08,810 --> 00:12:11,240 Here is this crippled spacecraft, 227 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:13,103 you know, literally limping home. 228 00:12:16,860 --> 00:12:17,693 It's like you have, 229 00:12:17,693 --> 00:12:20,420 you know, you have to guide somebody 230 00:12:20,420 --> 00:12:23,533 with just one leg, one eye, 231 00:12:24,927 --> 00:12:27,140 and then try to make him go straight. 232 00:12:27,140 --> 00:12:29,013 It's very crazy. 233 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,200 People are worried that the mission 234 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:35,500 is going to fail at this stage. 235 00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:37,770 That we potentially may or may not 236 00:12:37,770 --> 00:12:38,750 have collected samples, 237 00:12:38,750 --> 00:12:41,973 and that it might not actually make it back to earth. 238 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,363 So they're hanging on by a thread. 239 00:12:46,481 --> 00:12:50,314 (anticipatory music building) 240 00:12:53,757 --> 00:12:56,340 But, they were able to hang on. 241 00:12:58,260 --> 00:13:00,153 We (speaker mumbling) that looks like lower right. 242 00:13:00,153 --> 00:13:02,980 They were able to successfully navigate 243 00:13:02,980 --> 00:13:04,280 all the way back to earth. 244 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:08,830 Nice flashes. 245 00:13:08,830 --> 00:13:09,663 Oh, wow. 246 00:13:10,580 --> 00:13:13,413 (inspiring music) 247 00:13:14,444 --> 00:13:15,630 40 kilometers. 248 00:13:15,630 --> 00:13:20,630 The capsule landed, but may be empty, nobody knew. 249 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:25,320 All these efforts 250 00:13:27,220 --> 00:13:28,493 maybe was for nothing. 251 00:13:34,970 --> 00:13:37,570 Everything else then went to (speaker mumbling) 252 00:13:37,570 --> 00:13:39,680 and they could open and then see 253 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:43,353 where they discovered that there were samples. 254 00:13:44,374 --> 00:13:47,457 (instrumental music) 255 00:13:49,990 --> 00:13:51,243 They did it. 256 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,293 The thing was quite emotional. 257 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,623 I was very moved to see the sample. 258 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:03,420 They have indeed collected 259 00:14:03,420 --> 00:14:06,313 maybe 1,500 dust particles. 260 00:14:12,169 --> 00:14:15,919 Hayabusa One brought back a lot of science. 261 00:14:16,900 --> 00:14:19,100 Hayabusa came back in 2010. 262 00:14:19,100 --> 00:14:21,293 Nine years later, we still do find out more 263 00:14:21,293 --> 00:14:24,143 discoveries with these teeny samples. 264 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,100 One of the things we're interested with asteroids 265 00:14:28,100 --> 00:14:32,343 is whether they delivered the oceans to earth. 266 00:14:33,500 --> 00:14:36,270 So a few weeks ago, there was a measurement 267 00:14:36,270 --> 00:14:38,183 of the water properties of the sample. 268 00:14:39,930 --> 00:14:41,330 They measured the properties, 269 00:14:41,330 --> 00:14:42,163 and they're the same as the property 270 00:14:42,163 --> 00:14:43,613 of the oceans on earth. 271 00:14:45,290 --> 00:14:46,740 It is the same kind of water. 272 00:14:49,870 --> 00:14:51,103 They are a match. 273 00:14:53,060 --> 00:14:55,500 So it's the first clue that maybe 274 00:14:55,500 --> 00:14:59,200 all this wonderful water on the surface of the earth 275 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,793 actually comes from asteroids. 276 00:15:03,590 --> 00:15:06,173 (music fading) 277 00:15:07,487 --> 00:15:10,500 (gentle piano music) 278 00:15:10,500 --> 00:15:12,250 Asteroids are fascinating, 279 00:15:12,250 --> 00:15:15,383 but further out away from the young sun, 280 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:20,370 is where very bizarre objects were created. 281 00:15:20,370 --> 00:15:21,513 The comets. 282 00:15:25,030 --> 00:15:28,083 Comets are the most primitive objects we can study. 283 00:15:29,010 --> 00:15:31,360 What is, so to say, the source of this wonderful 284 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:32,423 display in the sky? 285 00:15:36,220 --> 00:15:37,400 People have always been intrigued 286 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,503 by these messengers that come out of the night sky. 287 00:15:43,180 --> 00:15:44,370 What are these objects? 288 00:15:44,370 --> 00:15:45,410 Where do they come from? 289 00:15:45,410 --> 00:15:47,326 What are they made of? 290 00:15:47,326 --> 00:15:50,270 (orchestral music) 291 00:15:50,270 --> 00:15:53,713 What's locked up as treasures, secrets in comets? 292 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,440 For a long time they were mysterious. 293 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:01,300 We didn't even know their orbits. 294 00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:04,290 (music swelling) 295 00:16:04,290 --> 00:16:06,400 And it really wasn't until the observations 296 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,720 of Halley's Comet where it was realized 297 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:10,700 that they actually orbit the solar system. 298 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:14,163 That it comes back every 76 years. 299 00:16:16,430 --> 00:16:18,993 Halley's Comet has a special place. 300 00:16:21,220 --> 00:16:23,560 1986 was a really special year 301 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,273 because we got a first look. 302 00:16:27,340 --> 00:16:29,503 It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. 303 00:16:31,130 --> 00:16:33,130 First stage servo motor started. 304 00:16:34,300 --> 00:16:37,080 The object of Giotto was pretty simple, really. 305 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:38,830 To intercept Halley. 306 00:16:38,830 --> 00:16:40,753 Final arming, ready to go. 307 00:16:40,753 --> 00:16:41,586 (countdown in French) 308 00:16:41,586 --> 00:16:43,260 Was excitement, because this is new. 309 00:16:43,260 --> 00:16:45,900 This was an adventure, never done before, 310 00:16:45,900 --> 00:16:47,270 and now we go. 311 00:16:47,270 --> 00:16:48,678 Ignition. 312 00:16:48,678 --> 00:16:49,511 (rockets firing) 313 00:16:49,511 --> 00:16:51,740 Now they have first stage ignition and takeoff. 314 00:16:51,740 --> 00:16:53,840 We launched early July in '85, 315 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:55,987 so it's a eight months journey. 316 00:16:55,987 --> 00:16:58,904 (crowd applauding) 317 00:16:59,950 --> 00:17:03,830 The comet has an atmosphere that we call the coma. 318 00:17:03,830 --> 00:17:06,920 And then the tail streams away from the comet. 319 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:09,963 And the tail also contains dust. 320 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:17,050 Dust particles, although they might not seem hazardous, 321 00:17:17,050 --> 00:17:19,000 if you fire them at a spacecraft 322 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,393 at many kilometers per second, 323 00:17:22,660 --> 00:17:26,253 even a small dust particle can destroy the spacecraft. 324 00:17:27,333 --> 00:17:31,333 (music building to a crescendo) 325 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:38,520 This is basically a kamikaze mission, so to say. 326 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:39,353 Fingers crossed. 327 00:17:42,590 --> 00:17:45,810 Giotto made it's rush towards Halley's Comet, 328 00:17:45,810 --> 00:17:48,863 and it's getting closer and closer to the nucleus. 329 00:17:51,190 --> 00:17:52,790 And it's being hit by particles. 330 00:17:52,790 --> 00:17:55,283 They're picking up impacts. 331 00:17:58,120 --> 00:17:59,813 Dust impacts were increasing. 332 00:18:02,930 --> 00:18:04,653 It's a tense time. 333 00:18:07,250 --> 00:18:09,423 Just before the actual encounter, 334 00:18:10,780 --> 00:18:12,130 It gets hit by a big one. 335 00:18:13,310 --> 00:18:15,363 And it puts the spacecraft into a spin. 336 00:18:18,130 --> 00:18:21,110 And so all of a sudden, it's protection, it's shield, 337 00:18:21,110 --> 00:18:23,103 is not facing the dust particles. 338 00:18:26,490 --> 00:18:28,940 We got anxious because we couldn't do anything. 339 00:18:32,130 --> 00:18:35,060 We tried to keep cool and quiet, 340 00:18:35,060 --> 00:18:36,980 and see what happened. 341 00:18:36,980 --> 00:18:40,722 (suspenseful orchestral music) 342 00:18:40,722 --> 00:18:43,389 All of a sudden, images stopped. 343 00:18:45,770 --> 00:18:47,150 The camera goes dead, 344 00:18:47,150 --> 00:18:51,290 and the spacecraft is still flying through, 345 00:18:51,290 --> 00:18:53,450 through that debris. 346 00:18:53,450 --> 00:18:55,330 And I think there were a lot of people there 347 00:18:55,330 --> 00:18:57,187 who thought that they were going to lose the spacecraft, 348 00:18:57,187 --> 00:18:59,637 and that was it, that was the end of the mission. 349 00:19:01,145 --> 00:19:04,728 (quiet, suspenseful music) 350 00:19:09,290 --> 00:19:10,740 But thankfully, it survived. 351 00:19:10,740 --> 00:19:12,993 It went all the way through and lived on. 352 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,280 And it took about a couple of minutes 353 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,243 until we received all the data. 354 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:23,880 First of all, you see the image. 355 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:27,660 And you are one of the first ones 356 00:19:27,660 --> 00:19:29,503 to see a comet nucleus. 357 00:19:30,463 --> 00:19:34,296 (peaceful instrumental music) 358 00:19:35,820 --> 00:19:37,113 It's beautiful. 359 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:40,460 They were just truly incredible. 360 00:19:42,500 --> 00:19:45,110 The comet, surprisingly, is not this 361 00:19:45,110 --> 00:19:49,093 bright, clean, ball of ice. 362 00:19:50,610 --> 00:19:54,203 It's dark, it's almost black. 363 00:19:59,210 --> 00:20:00,950 It was active only in a few spots. 364 00:20:00,950 --> 00:20:02,280 That was the first big surprise, 365 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,110 because we thought the nucleus would be 366 00:20:04,110 --> 00:20:05,533 active all over the surface. 367 00:20:06,578 --> 00:20:09,328 (peaceful music) 368 00:20:10,980 --> 00:20:14,400 We've learned about processes that are going on 369 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,350 inside a comet, that we would have never have guessed 370 00:20:18,350 --> 00:20:19,600 unless we had gone there. 371 00:20:21,260 --> 00:20:23,973 Giotto was remarkable. 372 00:20:23,973 --> 00:20:26,020 (crowd applauding) 373 00:20:26,020 --> 00:20:27,890 Sort of was really a unique mission. 374 00:20:27,890 --> 00:20:29,610 Was the first mission go to a comet, 375 00:20:29,610 --> 00:20:31,960 was also the first time seeing a comet nucleus. 376 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:35,060 These are things you don't forget. 377 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:37,113 Stays with you. 378 00:20:39,863 --> 00:20:42,360 (peaceful music) 379 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:45,550 When Giotto flew past comet Halley in 1986, 380 00:20:45,550 --> 00:20:49,923 the fly-by was around 68, 70 kilometers a second. 381 00:20:52,540 --> 00:20:54,320 You see it for a few minutes and then it's gone. 382 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:55,153 It's all over. 383 00:20:57,470 --> 00:20:59,030 To learn more, you want to go 384 00:20:59,030 --> 00:21:00,300 and rendezvous with a comet. 385 00:21:00,300 --> 00:21:02,043 You want to fly alongside it. 386 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:05,520 Can we learn about the evolution of these objects 387 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,763 by studying it over time? 388 00:21:09,170 --> 00:21:10,810 And of course, then the idea comes up, 389 00:21:10,810 --> 00:21:12,680 you would want to touch down on the surface. 390 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,883 You want to land there, sample material. 391 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:22,520 To do all of that in one mission is incredibly gutsy. 392 00:21:24,150 --> 00:21:27,260 (countdown in French) 393 00:21:27,260 --> 00:21:29,410 The first time I heard about the mission, 394 00:21:29,410 --> 00:21:32,357 I thought, "They must be joking." 395 00:21:32,357 --> 00:21:34,030 (countdown in French) 396 00:21:34,030 --> 00:21:37,003 The Rosetta mission was incredibly ambitious, 397 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:40,377 but we jumped on it. 398 00:21:42,892 --> 00:21:44,350 Take-off. 399 00:21:44,350 --> 00:21:46,513 We launch in March, 2004. 400 00:21:49,770 --> 00:21:51,547 The whole travel to the comet 401 00:21:51,547 --> 00:21:53,460 was an adventure for Rosetta. 402 00:21:55,305 --> 00:21:57,690 The comet is on an orbit with a different energy level 403 00:21:57,690 --> 00:21:59,170 compared to the one of the earth, 404 00:21:59,170 --> 00:22:01,760 so where to actually impart this energy 405 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,063 to our spacecraft to get the same orbit. 406 00:22:05,272 --> 00:22:08,800 (anticipatory music) 407 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,790 So we did this thing to use the planets, 408 00:22:11,790 --> 00:22:13,250 and to use their gravity 409 00:22:13,250 --> 00:22:15,640 to slingshot us through space 410 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,270 on a different trajectory with more speed, 411 00:22:18,270 --> 00:22:20,270 in order to be able to get to the comet. 412 00:22:21,710 --> 00:22:24,213 After one year, we would come back to earth. 413 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,970 The next appointment was fly-by on Mars. 414 00:22:28,970 --> 00:22:31,303 And very soon, we came back to earth. 415 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,993 And this launched us towards the main asteroid belt. 416 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,333 After this, we came back to earth. 417 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,073 This one gave us the last big kick. 418 00:22:47,140 --> 00:22:49,810 We were really launched very fast, 419 00:22:49,810 --> 00:22:51,780 but getting very far from the sun. 420 00:22:52,819 --> 00:22:56,736 (music fades to a single note) 421 00:23:00,540 --> 00:23:04,720 We could not keep all the systems on board active, 422 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,110 because the illumination of our solar panels 423 00:23:07,110 --> 00:23:08,473 was getting very weak. 424 00:23:13,900 --> 00:23:16,773 So the decision was made, in fact, to turn it off. 425 00:23:21,990 --> 00:23:24,410 I hated that concept from the very beginning. 426 00:23:24,410 --> 00:23:26,040 I've been fighting it for years. 427 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:27,710 I was convinced we would never do it, 428 00:23:27,710 --> 00:23:28,633 it was too crazy. 429 00:23:30,580 --> 00:23:32,120 Switching off the radio signal 430 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:34,503 is like cutting a vital link. 431 00:23:36,740 --> 00:23:39,030 We've been flying a spacecraft for seven years 432 00:23:39,030 --> 00:23:41,870 it's at hundreds of millions of kilometers away, 433 00:23:41,870 --> 00:23:42,703 and what do you do? 434 00:23:42,703 --> 00:23:43,536 You send a command to switch it off, 435 00:23:43,536 --> 00:23:44,880 and wake it up three years later. 436 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,180 It just doesn't make sense. 437 00:23:47,180 --> 00:23:48,380 And this is what we did. 438 00:23:50,131 --> 00:23:53,464 (soft orchestral music) 439 00:23:55,770 --> 00:23:58,213 We spent two and a half years without contact. 440 00:24:00,460 --> 00:24:02,203 And we waited. 441 00:24:06,830 --> 00:24:09,970 We couldn't talk to it while it was in hibernation. 442 00:24:09,970 --> 00:24:11,393 We need it to wake up, 443 00:24:12,940 --> 00:24:16,928 which it was due to do on the 20th of January, 2014. 444 00:24:16,928 --> 00:24:18,208 (clocks ticking) 445 00:24:18,208 --> 00:24:19,041 (alarms ringing) 446 00:24:19,041 --> 00:24:21,791 Three, two, one, wake-up! 447 00:24:23,357 --> 00:24:25,441 Wake up, wake up, wake up! 448 00:24:25,441 --> 00:24:26,608 Okay, great. 449 00:24:28,490 --> 00:24:30,993 We were sitting all in the control room, 450 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:33,470 waiting for the signal to come. 451 00:24:34,518 --> 00:24:38,763 This was probably the most tense moment of the mission. 452 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,240 This was everything or nothing. 453 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:44,483 It was life or death. 454 00:24:47,020 --> 00:24:48,530 I was sitting in the main control room 455 00:24:48,530 --> 00:24:49,470 with a bunch of people that had 456 00:24:49,470 --> 00:24:52,320 worked on this mission for most of their careers. 457 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,560 And they had run a sweepstakes 458 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,610 when they thought the spacecraft would wake up 459 00:24:56,610 --> 00:24:57,923 and send it's signal back. 460 00:25:01,910 --> 00:25:04,340 So when the first time went past, 461 00:25:04,340 --> 00:25:06,730 people you know, said, "Well, you've lost." 462 00:25:06,730 --> 00:25:08,977 And everybody laughed, it was a jolly moment in the room. 463 00:25:08,977 --> 00:25:11,377 "Yeah well, no, you didn't win the sweepstakes." 464 00:25:14,174 --> 00:25:15,620 Then the second person, the third person, 465 00:25:15,620 --> 00:25:18,320 the fourth person, and then it got a bit more serious. 466 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,973 It was building up tension at that stage. 467 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:25,923 Why it's not coming? 468 00:25:30,063 --> 00:25:31,660 Then the last person who had the sweepstakes 469 00:25:31,660 --> 00:25:34,533 was about seven o'clock, and it hadn't woken up. 470 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:40,830 Everybody was getting very nervous. 471 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,423 It was very difficult to bear. 472 00:25:48,250 --> 00:25:50,743 We started really getting worried. 473 00:25:53,490 --> 00:25:54,840 Have we lost the mission? 474 00:26:08,780 --> 00:26:10,833 Then suddenly, the signal came. 475 00:26:11,683 --> 00:26:13,740 (crowd cheering and applauding) 476 00:26:13,740 --> 00:26:14,573 When the signal came 477 00:26:14,573 --> 00:26:16,790 it was a big relief for me, personally. 478 00:26:16,790 --> 00:26:18,593 It was an explosion of joy. 479 00:26:19,950 --> 00:26:22,410 A little blip on a noise spectrum 480 00:26:22,410 --> 00:26:25,973 told us Rosetta was there, and it was calling home. 481 00:26:28,970 --> 00:26:32,960 And this for me was the toughest emotion I went through 482 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:34,160 on the story of Rosetta. 483 00:26:37,310 --> 00:26:38,871 We made it! 484 00:26:38,871 --> 00:26:40,627 Yes, yes, hi! 485 00:26:40,627 --> 00:26:42,743 That's a big success for everybody. 486 00:26:44,310 --> 00:26:45,430 We have it. 487 00:26:45,430 --> 00:26:48,450 We're ready, we now have the spacecraft back, 488 00:26:48,450 --> 00:26:49,990 we can go and do the rest of this mission, 489 00:26:49,990 --> 00:26:52,337 and finally get to the comet. 490 00:26:52,337 --> 00:26:56,337 (group cheering and applauding) 491 00:26:58,440 --> 00:26:59,570 But now the mission starts, 492 00:26:59,570 --> 00:27:01,620 because now we have to get to the comet, 493 00:27:01,620 --> 00:27:02,800 fly around the comet, 494 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,690 orbit the comet, and land on the comet, 495 00:27:04,690 --> 00:27:06,373 all within the next 10 months. 496 00:27:10,590 --> 00:27:14,296 Rosetta took 10 years from launch, 497 00:27:14,296 --> 00:27:16,280 'til we finally got to the target 498 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:17,793 that we were going to study. 499 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:23,770 The comet we ended up deciding to go to 500 00:27:23,770 --> 00:27:26,543 was 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. 501 00:27:28,173 --> 00:27:30,923 (ethereal music) 502 00:27:31,770 --> 00:27:34,470 In the beginning, the comet was just very small dot. 503 00:27:37,777 --> 00:27:39,830 And then day by day the comet was growing 504 00:27:39,830 --> 00:27:41,580 in the field of view of the camera. 505 00:27:43,354 --> 00:27:46,854 (ethereal music building) 506 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:58,653 We saw this incredible shape. 507 00:27:59,930 --> 00:28:02,903 Some people have described it as a rubber duck. 508 00:28:06,730 --> 00:28:09,460 It was amazing, it was beautiful. 509 00:28:09,460 --> 00:28:12,553 Scientists were just stunned with their mouths open. 510 00:28:14,057 --> 00:28:16,890 (sustained music) 511 00:28:20,986 --> 00:28:24,569 Comet 67P is about four kilometers in size. 512 00:28:29,460 --> 00:28:32,610 If you were standing on the bottom of the comet, 513 00:28:32,610 --> 00:28:35,813 you might see a flat, dusty plain. 514 00:28:38,830 --> 00:28:40,820 If you were standing on the head of the comet, 515 00:28:40,820 --> 00:28:42,813 it might look more rocky. 516 00:28:43,940 --> 00:28:46,530 If you were standing on the neck of the comet, 517 00:28:46,530 --> 00:28:49,580 you would be in this interesting valley, 518 00:28:49,580 --> 00:28:53,600 kilometer high cliffs on either side, 519 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:58,140 and running along the neck between your legs 520 00:28:58,140 --> 00:28:59,993 is a huge crack. 521 00:29:02,910 --> 00:29:06,340 There is so many different types of surfaces 522 00:29:06,340 --> 00:29:10,050 and variety, you could spend the rest of your life 523 00:29:10,050 --> 00:29:11,867 exploring every little part of the comet 524 00:29:11,867 --> 00:29:14,833 and not see the same type of thing twice. 525 00:29:15,798 --> 00:29:20,798 (instrumental music building to a crescendo) 526 00:29:22,239 --> 00:29:23,527 The first thing I thought was, 527 00:29:23,527 --> 00:29:25,477 "We're never gonna land on that thing." 528 00:29:28,430 --> 00:29:31,683 Was the morning of the 12 of November 2004. 529 00:29:34,129 --> 00:29:37,917 It was excitement, but also tension for the upcoming events. 530 00:29:38,970 --> 00:29:41,810 Great news, we are a go from the lander. 531 00:29:41,810 --> 00:29:43,290 The commands have already been sent, 532 00:29:43,290 --> 00:29:45,313 now we just have to wait for separation. 533 00:29:46,785 --> 00:29:50,702 (sustained instrumental music) 534 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:56,640 Rosetta just pushed very gently away. 535 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:59,070 It was like pushing it really like this, 536 00:29:59,070 --> 00:30:01,620 18 centimeters per second, it's nothing, like this. 537 00:30:03,812 --> 00:30:07,645 (building instrumental music) 538 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:26,953 The fall lasted seven hours. 539 00:30:30,010 --> 00:30:31,730 They could get the images of Philae 540 00:30:31,730 --> 00:30:35,430 getting closer to the surface during the descent. 541 00:30:43,374 --> 00:30:47,374 (group cheering and applauding) 542 00:30:52,294 --> 00:30:55,961 It was a very, very emotional moment for me. 543 00:31:00,050 --> 00:31:02,743 After the seven hours of descent, 544 00:31:03,740 --> 00:31:06,140 Philae was approaching the surface of the comet. 545 00:31:07,848 --> 00:31:11,680 (gentle instrumental music) 546 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:13,370 As we got closer and closer, 547 00:31:13,370 --> 00:31:15,463 you know, the tension began to rise. 548 00:31:21,580 --> 00:31:24,830 I was looking at the data coming from Philae, 549 00:31:24,830 --> 00:31:27,323 I wanted Philae to survive the landing. 550 00:31:28,450 --> 00:31:30,370 So I was just staring at the screen 551 00:31:30,370 --> 00:31:31,713 seeing this data coming. 552 00:31:37,140 --> 00:31:40,113 We actually saw several subsystems activating. 553 00:31:48,380 --> 00:31:49,750 These were the subsystems 554 00:31:49,750 --> 00:31:51,973 supposed to be activated at touchdown. 555 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:57,220 We got the information 556 00:31:57,220 --> 00:31:58,823 that it had reached the surface. 557 00:31:59,793 --> 00:32:03,793 (crowd cheering and applauding) 558 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,310 We definitely confirmed that the lander is on the surface, 559 00:32:21,310 --> 00:32:22,143 and I leave it to Stephan. 560 00:32:22,143 --> 00:32:24,010 I think it's up to him to judge 561 00:32:24,010 --> 00:32:25,820 how it's going now on the lander. 562 00:32:25,820 --> 00:32:27,240 We were in the major success. 563 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:28,653 We had landed on a comet. 564 00:32:29,670 --> 00:32:31,690 This was the moment of my mission. 565 00:32:31,690 --> 00:32:33,520 This was a huge success. 566 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:35,531 We are sitting on the surface, 567 00:32:35,531 --> 00:32:36,930 Philae's talking to us. 568 00:32:36,930 --> 00:32:39,238 More data to come, and to-- 569 00:32:39,238 --> 00:32:41,180 (audience cheering and applauding) 570 00:32:41,180 --> 00:32:44,010 I can tell you for me personally, 571 00:32:44,010 --> 00:32:45,490 that the lander touchdown, 572 00:32:45,490 --> 00:32:47,783 that was the biggest achievement. 573 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:53,300 Philae started taking pictures, 574 00:32:53,300 --> 00:32:54,810 taking measurements, doing it's job. 575 00:32:54,810 --> 00:32:57,210 Said, "I'm on the surface here, I touched down." 576 00:33:00,460 --> 00:33:01,780 (camera's clicking) 577 00:33:01,780 --> 00:33:04,320 Yes, it had touched down on the surface, 578 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:05,770 but it hadn't stopped moving. 579 00:33:06,937 --> 00:33:09,393 (men talking over each other) 580 00:33:09,393 --> 00:33:12,563 Nominal is one, three, eight, five. 581 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,490 It took us 10 to 15 minutes 582 00:33:17,490 --> 00:33:19,354 to realize that something was wrong. 583 00:33:19,354 --> 00:33:21,154 This one is not going down though. 584 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:24,189 The lander, the elevation did not go down. 585 00:33:24,189 --> 00:33:26,930 Yeah, it's the same as (speaker mumbling). 586 00:33:26,930 --> 00:33:29,493 We realized that the radio signal was not stable. 587 00:33:31,030 --> 00:33:32,670 It couldn't have been on the surface. 588 00:33:32,670 --> 00:33:35,833 It was definitely lifted up and flying again. 589 00:33:39,250 --> 00:33:41,450 I said, "That's not possible, it cannot be." 590 00:33:43,290 --> 00:33:45,080 Quite quickly people began to realize 591 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:46,380 that we must have bounced. 592 00:33:52,820 --> 00:33:55,933 It bounced, had a very long travel, 593 00:33:57,930 --> 00:34:02,930 and then it hit the edge of a cliff, started tumbling. 594 00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:06,580 We were scared to death. 595 00:34:06,580 --> 00:34:09,820 My fear was we are gonna lose the contact now. 596 00:34:09,820 --> 00:34:11,520 And if we lose the contact, that's it. 597 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:15,086 This is the end of the mission of Philae. 598 00:34:15,086 --> 00:34:19,003 (suspenseful orchestral music) 599 00:34:20,510 --> 00:34:23,030 And then finally, after two hours, 600 00:34:23,030 --> 00:34:26,367 it touched down in a very dark place. 601 00:34:26,367 --> 00:34:29,034 (ominous music) 602 00:34:31,210 --> 00:34:33,340 Of course, we hadn't the faintest idea 603 00:34:33,340 --> 00:34:35,693 where Philae was on the surface of the comet. 604 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:41,720 Then, half an hour later, 605 00:34:41,720 --> 00:34:43,840 the signal was abruptly interrupt, 606 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:45,703 and Philae wouldn't transmit anymore. 607 00:34:49,010 --> 00:34:50,120 We haven't the faintest idea 608 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:53,313 when the signal would come back. 609 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:01,280 When I came in the morning, 610 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,810 few seconds away, spot on, we see alarms coming in 611 00:35:04,810 --> 00:35:07,487 to the control system, and it's the signal of Philae. 612 00:35:09,372 --> 00:35:12,670 (music building) 613 00:35:12,670 --> 00:35:13,890 This little baby has been 614 00:35:13,890 --> 00:35:15,863 surviving on the face of the comet. 615 00:35:18,970 --> 00:35:20,600 So we started receiving data. 616 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:21,433 Guess what we get? 617 00:35:21,433 --> 00:35:23,380 The first image of the surface of the comet. 618 00:35:23,380 --> 00:35:25,943 Here, real time, we saw it real time coming in. 619 00:35:27,354 --> 00:35:31,021 (gentle instrumental music) 620 00:35:36,150 --> 00:35:37,250 This is just fantastic. 621 00:35:37,250 --> 00:35:39,500 It's something that happens once in our life. 622 00:35:45,510 --> 00:35:47,330 You see the surface of the comet, 623 00:35:47,330 --> 00:35:49,193 you see a portion of the leg, 624 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,010 and you have the feeling that there is something odd. 625 00:35:52,010 --> 00:35:53,230 Indeed, we found Philae, 626 00:35:53,230 --> 00:35:56,510 that it was tilted on it's side. 627 00:35:56,510 --> 00:35:58,560 But it was just the surface of the comet. 628 00:36:01,076 --> 00:36:05,493 (music building to a sustained note) 629 00:36:11,130 --> 00:36:12,830 The images came back, 630 00:36:12,830 --> 00:36:14,180 and it was then that we realized 631 00:36:14,180 --> 00:36:15,810 that we were in this place that was 632 00:36:15,810 --> 00:36:17,203 almost completely shady. 633 00:36:21,376 --> 00:36:23,620 It was in a dark area, 634 00:36:23,620 --> 00:36:25,380 so it would have not had the chance 635 00:36:25,380 --> 00:36:26,983 to recharge the batteries. 636 00:36:29,850 --> 00:36:30,960 We knew then that we were 637 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:32,960 gonna run out of power after three days. 638 00:36:35,240 --> 00:36:39,010 The whole three days on the comet 639 00:36:39,010 --> 00:36:42,030 were certainly three of the most 640 00:36:42,030 --> 00:36:43,743 incredible days of my life. 641 00:36:49,809 --> 00:36:50,719 When you see the images, 642 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:53,610 you get this very strong feeling, 643 00:36:53,610 --> 00:36:56,860 you are on a completely new world. 644 00:36:56,860 --> 00:36:59,163 You are seeing a new world for the first time. 645 00:37:01,147 --> 00:37:03,991 (gentle music) 646 00:37:03,991 --> 00:37:07,908 The formations were really, totally unexpected. 647 00:37:10,940 --> 00:37:12,010 The first image I saw, 648 00:37:12,010 --> 00:37:15,010 it looked to me like coral formations, 649 00:37:15,010 --> 00:37:17,463 like what you see in the bottom of the oceans. 650 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:22,113 Fractal geometries. 651 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:26,800 Ruptures everywhere, at every dimension, 652 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:28,413 from millimeters to centimeters. 653 00:37:32,426 --> 00:37:35,657 It gives an impression of how this surface suffers. 654 00:37:37,170 --> 00:37:39,170 The extreme variation of temperatures 655 00:37:39,170 --> 00:37:41,710 by getting close to the sun and then back away. 656 00:37:41,710 --> 00:37:44,613 It's a continual thermal stress. 657 00:37:47,650 --> 00:37:52,650 Seeing the images so close, it was like sitting there. 658 00:37:53,990 --> 00:37:55,623 It was clearly another world. 659 00:37:58,750 --> 00:38:00,670 Philae was part of our adventure 660 00:38:00,670 --> 00:38:02,440 and especially in those three days, 661 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,113 it was part of us sitting on the comet. 662 00:38:07,690 --> 00:38:10,870 After three days, it was Friday afternoon, 663 00:38:10,870 --> 00:38:13,520 it was clear that the battery was getting to the end. 664 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:17,460 You could see Philae fading out 665 00:38:17,460 --> 00:38:20,413 during the night, during the last contact. 666 00:38:21,630 --> 00:38:25,213 And then gradually the energy in the battery finished. 667 00:38:27,270 --> 00:38:29,700 And that was the end of the three days 668 00:38:29,700 --> 00:38:30,850 of Philae on the comet. 669 00:38:39,482 --> 00:38:42,541 (hushed engines whooshing) 670 00:38:42,541 --> 00:38:43,374 But if we look carefully, 671 00:38:43,374 --> 00:38:45,680 the bulk of the scientific mission of Rosetta 672 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:46,840 still had to come. 673 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:48,850 Because we flew there to follow the comet 674 00:38:48,850 --> 00:38:50,633 in it's orbit around the sun. 675 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:57,703 The comet's getting close to the sun. 676 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,672 It's activity increased significantly. 677 00:39:02,672 --> 00:39:06,172 (gentle orchestral music) 678 00:39:07,010 --> 00:39:09,310 We could really see how the surface 679 00:39:09,310 --> 00:39:12,163 is completely revolutioned by the sun. 680 00:39:14,690 --> 00:39:15,790 There were explosions. 681 00:39:16,743 --> 00:39:19,493 (music building) 682 00:39:23,030 --> 00:39:25,100 Holes observed in the surface 683 00:39:25,100 --> 00:39:27,790 with a underground structure which is 684 00:39:27,790 --> 00:39:30,163 still today, totally unexplained. 685 00:39:37,300 --> 00:39:40,283 There were landslides that we have observed. 686 00:39:41,359 --> 00:39:44,109 (music building) 687 00:39:47,470 --> 00:39:49,900 You could see jets, gas jets, 688 00:39:49,900 --> 00:39:51,823 fountains coming out of the comet. 689 00:39:54,370 --> 00:39:56,922 You could see actually like snowstorms 690 00:39:56,922 --> 00:39:59,033 going around the comet. 691 00:40:06,730 --> 00:40:08,300 Well what they saw in front of their eyes 692 00:40:08,300 --> 00:40:13,135 was totally surprising what was happening there. 693 00:40:13,135 --> 00:40:16,552 (music builds to a stop) 694 00:40:23,290 --> 00:40:26,820 So on Rosetta we had a dozen instruments, 695 00:40:26,820 --> 00:40:29,543 and not all all of these instruments take pictures. 696 00:40:32,030 --> 00:40:33,870 They get data in different ways. 697 00:40:33,870 --> 00:40:38,403 Such as the spectrum, or measuring molecules. 698 00:40:39,820 --> 00:40:42,440 It's squiggly line data. 699 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,880 And those squiggly line data 700 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:48,400 can sometimes have much more information 701 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:49,793 than the pictures do. 702 00:40:52,820 --> 00:40:54,120 The Rosetta instrument found 703 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:56,370 that there is molecular oxygen 704 00:40:56,370 --> 00:40:58,270 trapped into the nucleus of the comet. 705 00:41:00,168 --> 00:41:02,420 Molecular oxygen couldn't have survived 706 00:41:02,420 --> 00:41:04,203 the formation of the solar system. 707 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:06,560 Therefore it means that it was 708 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:08,160 inside the nucleus of the comet 709 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:10,363 before the formation of the solar system. 710 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,150 We were able to see molecules 711 00:41:15,150 --> 00:41:18,510 some of which had never been seen before. 712 00:41:18,510 --> 00:41:21,430 For instance, glycine, the amino acid, 713 00:41:21,430 --> 00:41:24,300 a building block of life. 714 00:41:24,300 --> 00:41:27,380 And if the oxygen was trapped in the nucleus 715 00:41:27,380 --> 00:41:29,280 before the formation of the solar system, 716 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,530 then also the amino acids were trapped there. 717 00:41:32,860 --> 00:41:34,767 If these two things which are the ingredients of life 718 00:41:34,767 --> 00:41:36,400 were trapped there before 719 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:38,010 the formation of the solar system, 720 00:41:38,010 --> 00:41:39,653 they are not specific to our solar system, 721 00:41:39,653 --> 00:41:41,600 they are universal, these ingredients. 722 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:44,410 So the likelihood that life has formed 723 00:41:44,410 --> 00:41:45,653 somewhere else as well. 724 00:41:47,870 --> 00:41:49,140 There's all the material in there 725 00:41:49,140 --> 00:41:52,410 that you need if you want to produce life. 726 00:41:56,590 --> 00:41:59,900 This confirmation is very important, 727 00:41:59,900 --> 00:42:02,003 because it shows that comets could have been 728 00:42:02,003 --> 00:42:06,203 the objecs that brought the components of life onto earth. 729 00:42:07,128 --> 00:42:10,628 (slow instrumental music) 730 00:42:16,410 --> 00:42:20,300 As we had been with the comet for more than two years, 731 00:42:20,300 --> 00:42:22,750 we were moving back out again, away from the sun. 732 00:42:24,460 --> 00:42:27,930 The mission had accomplish all the results. 733 00:42:27,930 --> 00:42:30,480 Nobody had thought about how to finish the mission. 734 00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:35,810 Shall we hibernate it again, 735 00:42:35,810 --> 00:42:38,893 taking the risk of a much longer hibernation? 736 00:42:40,135 --> 00:42:41,990 Shall we switch it off in September, 737 00:42:41,990 --> 00:42:43,983 that's it, bye bye Rosetta? 738 00:42:46,860 --> 00:42:49,210 Then we proposed to land with 739 00:42:49,210 --> 00:42:50,720 the mother ship on the comet. 740 00:42:50,720 --> 00:42:51,560 It's not designed for landing. 741 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,840 It was like a suicide landing. 742 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:57,000 But this was taken as a good idea 743 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,410 because this would allow us to observe 744 00:42:59,410 --> 00:43:01,440 and measure the last few kilometers 745 00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:02,640 where we had never been. 746 00:43:05,050 --> 00:43:06,870 The decision was indeed taken 747 00:43:06,870 --> 00:43:08,847 to say, "Let's go down, let's do it." 748 00:43:10,500 --> 00:43:13,300 And as Rosetta itself got closer and closer 749 00:43:13,300 --> 00:43:14,880 to the end of the mission and we came down 750 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:17,370 to lower and lower orbital heights, 751 00:43:17,370 --> 00:43:19,220 we were taking pictures all the time. 752 00:43:20,570 --> 00:43:22,700 And so we got closer and closer, 753 00:43:22,700 --> 00:43:25,300 getting more and more detailed images 754 00:43:25,300 --> 00:43:26,700 than we had ever had before. 755 00:43:28,023 --> 00:43:31,690 (gentle instrumental music) 756 00:43:32,910 --> 00:43:35,373 Only a few days before the end of the mission. 757 00:43:37,070 --> 00:43:40,473 Right there, at the edge of the image was a shape. 758 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:43,740 You could see there, in a sort of crack 759 00:43:43,740 --> 00:43:46,423 in between some rocks on the comet in shadow. 760 00:43:47,770 --> 00:43:50,630 Finally, we got the picture of Philae 761 00:43:50,630 --> 00:43:52,073 on the surface of the comet. 762 00:43:55,470 --> 00:43:58,030 To see Philae there, under a rock, 763 00:43:58,030 --> 00:43:59,973 this was extremely emotional. 764 00:44:01,810 --> 00:44:03,540 Going away without having seen 765 00:44:03,540 --> 00:44:05,640 Philae on the surface would have been a pity. 766 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:09,098 And this was the last present this mission gave to us. 767 00:44:09,098 --> 00:44:11,020 It was just a few hours before my birthday, 768 00:44:11,020 --> 00:44:13,737 so it was a very nice present. 769 00:44:13,737 --> 00:44:17,487 (sustained orchestral music) 770 00:44:28,110 --> 00:44:29,280 Good morning! 771 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:31,460 (man speaking in a foreign language) 772 00:44:31,460 --> 00:44:33,910 Welcome, for Rosetta's grand finale. 773 00:44:33,910 --> 00:44:36,880 We are here live, in Rosetta control room 774 00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:38,190 at ESOC in Germany. 775 00:44:38,190 --> 00:44:39,960 So at this point in September, 776 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:43,000 we had planned to put Rosetta down onto the comet. 777 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:45,600 It is a special day today. 778 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:48,520 The European Space Agency's comet-chasing 779 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:50,570 Rosetta mission is coming to an end. 780 00:44:50,570 --> 00:44:52,830 We have such a great job, 781 00:44:52,830 --> 00:44:55,010 and now we put it to rest. 782 00:44:55,010 --> 00:44:57,080 And then give it a proper end. 783 00:44:57,080 --> 00:44:59,060 It will be the end of a mission that lasted 784 00:44:59,060 --> 00:45:03,950 4,595 days in space. 785 00:45:03,950 --> 00:45:05,790 This slow farewell of Rosetta 786 00:45:05,790 --> 00:45:07,960 going down on the surface of the comet, 787 00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:11,850 I think is a perfect closure of this fantastic mission. 788 00:45:11,850 --> 00:45:15,500 The orbiter will land on the surface of the comet. 789 00:45:15,500 --> 00:45:17,860 It's going to be a big moment for everyone. 790 00:45:17,860 --> 00:45:20,140 You can feel the tension already here in the room. 791 00:45:20,140 --> 00:45:21,840 Everything we had put into this, 792 00:45:22,850 --> 00:45:24,770 in terms of the human story, 793 00:45:24,770 --> 00:45:29,330 but the science, this several decade long effort 794 00:45:29,330 --> 00:45:31,930 was coming to an end, and we were choosing to do it. 795 00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:35,250 And even sitting here now, several years later, 796 00:45:35,250 --> 00:45:37,150 I mean, it brings back those emotions. 797 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:41,160 We commanded the spacecraft to do 798 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:45,123 the final plunge down to the surface of the comet. 799 00:45:48,490 --> 00:45:52,793 The spacecraft is taking images during the descent. 800 00:45:53,658 --> 00:45:57,325 (gentle instrumental music) 801 00:46:00,710 --> 00:46:01,787 We could see some of the images 802 00:46:01,787 --> 00:46:04,900 and we could see the surface coming closer and closer 803 00:46:04,900 --> 00:46:06,090 and time passing by, 804 00:46:06,090 --> 00:46:09,003 and we knew that the mission was coming to an end. 805 00:46:10,618 --> 00:46:13,201 (gentle music) 806 00:46:23,620 --> 00:46:24,760 Everybody was crying. 807 00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:26,750 I mean, I get the tears in my eyes 808 00:46:26,750 --> 00:46:27,980 even now, thinking about it. 809 00:46:27,980 --> 00:46:30,003 It was super emotional. 810 00:46:33,490 --> 00:46:35,780 It got closer and closer 811 00:46:38,090 --> 00:46:39,253 until finally, 812 00:46:43,870 --> 00:46:45,043 we lost contact. 813 00:46:46,904 --> 00:46:49,571 And that was the end of Rosetta. 814 00:46:56,583 --> 00:46:58,557 (speaker mumbling) on the briefing rooms, 815 00:46:58,557 --> 00:47:01,224 we just have had loss of signal. 816 00:47:03,048 --> 00:47:05,433 And so, this is the end of the Rosetta mission. 817 00:47:05,433 --> 00:47:06,913 Thank you and goodbye. 818 00:47:11,730 --> 00:47:13,963 When the signal shut down on that day, 819 00:47:15,110 --> 00:47:16,300 people were shell-shocked. 820 00:47:16,300 --> 00:47:18,100 Even though they knew it was coming. 821 00:47:19,230 --> 00:47:20,780 But I remember walking around the corridors, 822 00:47:20,780 --> 00:47:23,290 people just leaning up against walls, 823 00:47:23,290 --> 00:47:25,373 just staring into the distance. 824 00:47:31,290 --> 00:47:34,220 It was yeah, I mean it's something 825 00:47:34,220 --> 00:47:36,620 those of us who were involved will never forget. 826 00:47:38,562 --> 00:47:42,479 (sustained instrumental music) 827 00:47:50,477 --> 00:47:52,546 It was quite an adventure. 828 00:47:52,546 --> 00:47:56,046 (upbeat orchestral music) 829 00:48:00,630 --> 00:48:03,810 Our understanding of how asteroids and comets 830 00:48:03,810 --> 00:48:07,163 might contribute to our existence. 831 00:48:09,210 --> 00:48:12,160 We know the kind of rocks that appear on their surface. 832 00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:14,140 We know the minerals in those rocks. 833 00:48:14,140 --> 00:48:16,400 We know about the organic molecules. 834 00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:18,110 We know about the water. 835 00:48:18,110 --> 00:48:20,690 None of those things we would have learned 836 00:48:20,690 --> 00:48:24,033 by looking at asteroids and comets from a distance. 837 00:48:26,230 --> 00:48:31,230 We are explorers in a lineage of explorers 838 00:48:31,340 --> 00:48:33,240 going far, far back in time, 839 00:48:33,240 --> 00:48:35,763 and we hope far into the future. 840 00:48:37,150 --> 00:48:39,880 If we were to stop our curiosity, 841 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:41,890 our species, the human beings, 842 00:48:41,890 --> 00:48:44,433 would have extinguished many, many years ago. 843 00:48:46,810 --> 00:48:49,030 Each time we further our knowledge, 844 00:48:49,030 --> 00:48:51,930 we get a little bit closer to the story 845 00:48:52,880 --> 00:48:55,623 of where did we come from? 846 00:48:56,992 --> 00:49:00,742 (inspiring orchestral music) 847 00:49:32,559 --> 00:49:36,059 (gentle orchestral music)