How Long do Good Landing Sites Last on Comets?

New discoveries can still come from space probes that have stopped sending data. The data from the probe that crashed into comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2016 was used by scientists to understand how comets change over time.

The paper from researchers at Cornell was inspired by the need to find a safe landing area for a future sample return mission. The idea wasn't just to find a specific place on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko but to understand how the geological processes of a comet affect its surface

There was a lot of information to look at. Philae, the lander, was sent down to the comet. While the comet was at its perihelion, it was one of the most active periods of its elliptical path.

Changes in the surface of the comet were caused by the increase in the temperature of the comet. Sublimation is the process of changing the comet's body into a gas by the heat from the Sun. Some of the edges of the depressions on the surface were eroded as a result of the changes to the area.

It would be difficult for any landing craft to find a stable site with the changes that have been made. Philae ran into trouble when it bounced off the comet's surface and ended up in a weird orientation. The risk of landing on a body where the gravity is less than 10000 is very high.

Scientists are still able to explore them even if they have some challenges. Many people think comets are the cause of Earth's need for water. They give a unique look into how the solar system was before planets were formed.

One of the easiest comets to access is 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko. It has a full range of environments that comets can experience in a short time. It's one of the best observed, with Philae sending back hundreds of pictures.

We will definitely be back to visit more comets even if we never return. It will be useful to understand how their surfaces form and what that means for landing on them.

You can learn more.

Scientists show how terrain changes on comets.

The evolution of large-scale changes in the Imhotep region was influenced byographically.

The team found a final image hiding in the data.

The changes on 67P were made during the mission.

I can't stop watching the animation from comet 67p.