Philae Lander successfully landed on Comet 67P Wednesday, after a few technical problems delayed the final landing, making it the first successful landing on a comet.

Philae Lands On Comet 67P

European Space Agency (ESA) began the Rosetta mission a decade ago, and has finally released the Philae Lander from its connection to the Rosetta spacecraft. Early Wednesday morning, Philae was released and slowly embarked on its trajectory to the comet, named Comet 67P. Should Philae and Rosetta be successful, Philae will explore the surface of the comet, gathering data on chemical composition, among other things, while Rosetta circles the comet, accompanying it on its trajectory for one year.

Philae Harpoons Fail To Deploy

Though the Philae Lander appears to have stabilized on the surface of Comet 67P, scientists must now determine whether or not to re-deploy the harpoons when they are able to reconnect to the Philae Lander on Thursday.