How long will the lander operate on the comet nucleus?
The Rosetta lander will touch down on the comet’s surface in November 2014. The science observations will start immediately. During the first 65 hours– the minimum mission target – a first run of the most important scientific measurements will be completed. During this phase the lander can operate on battery power, should this be necessary. In a second phase that is meant to last up to three months, a secondary set of observations will be conducted, using the remaining battery power and the energy from the solar cells on the lander. However, no one knows precisely how long the lander will survive on the comet.
