(VOVworld) – The European Space Agency landed a probe on a comet on Wednesday, a first in space exploration and the climax of a 10-year odyssey.

A composite image of Comet 67P, where the Philae lander is scheduled to land after detaching from the Rosetta orbiter. (Photo: European Space Agency)

The 100-kg Philae robotic lander touched down on Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet, 500 million kilometres from Earth, after a seven-hour descent from its orbiting mother ship Rosetta. Astrophysicist Philippe Lamy said Philae’s work programe includes drilling into the comet’s surface and analysing samples. Philae is expected to operate until next March, when the surface of the comet will become too hot. Comets are believed to hold answers to the Solar System’s origin and life on Earth 4.6 billion years ago.