Mission scientist reacts to historic first images from the surface of a comet

The high resolution camera aboard Rosetta has captured a stunning view of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko showing multiple jets streaming away from the surface.

Emboldened by renewed contact with Europe’s comet lander, engineers are repositioning the mission’s Rosetta mothership this week to establish a reliable a communications link with the dishwasher-sized Philae landing craft, a prerequisite for resuming a science campaign abbreviated by a power shortfall last year.

We speak with Matt Taylor, Rosetta Project Scientist, at the European Space Agency’s mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, about the plan to crash land the spacecraft on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.