What You Need to Know About the Comet Probe Landing Tomorrow Tomorrow is the culmination of a decade-long project to land a probe on a comet in deep space.

By Carly Okyle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Tomorrow, the European Space Agency (ESA) will attempt to land the tiny Philae probe onto the surface of a comet. If the landing is successful, it will be the first time scientists have landed a probe on a comet, and it will be the completion of a mission that began 10 years ago when the Rosetta spacecraft launched.

There are several factors that make this mission particularly difficult, besides the obvious fact that "space is hard." First, the comet (Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) is reportedly about 300 million miles away from Earth. Moreover, the descent will take seven hours to complete, which NASA is terming "7 hours of terror." The surface of the comet is hard and uneven, and the probe does not have the ability to make last-minute adjustments. If those aren't enough possible stumbling blocks, remember that a comet is a low-gravity environment.

Related: Meet the Entrepreneurs at the Forefront of the Space Race

Yet, even if the landing fails, scientists have learned much about space from this mission already. The spacecraft has taken photos of the comet, and scientists say that only 20 percent of the findings from the mission would be lost in the event of an unsuccessful landing, Space.com reports.

Just as amazing as the fact that this is happening is the fact that we can watch it happen through live broadcasts set up by the ESA, NASA and Slooh, the online astronomy community, though there will be about a 27-minute delay due to distance.

The ESA will stream the Mission Control Room for 24 hours starting at 2 p.m ET today. At 9 p.m. ET tonight, the ESA will determine if the mission is a "go" or a "no go." If they get the green light, NASA will livestream the event beginning at 9 a.m. ET tomorrow until 11:30 a.m. ET. During this time, we will learn if the probe landed safely. The probe is expected to land at 10:35 a.m. ET.

After the mission, Slooh will air a one-hour broadcast at 2 p.m. ET during which scientists will answer listeners' questions.

If it lands safely, Philae will continue to collect data from the comet for an estimated 2-1/2 days.

Related: The World Needs More of Richard Branson's "Hubris'

Carly Okyle

Assistant Editor, Contributed Content

Carly Okyle is an assistant editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

'Nobody Ever Gave Me Anything': More Boomers Say They're Not Transferring Wealth to Family Until They're Dead

A new survey from Charles Schwab found boomers are more hesitant to distribute their wealth than other generations.

Business News

Fans of Costco's $1.50 Hot Dog Combo Are In for a Big Surprise

Costco CEO Ron Vachris announced a change that's coming soon to the company's food courts.

Leadership

The 4 Pillars of Leadership — How Process-Driven Leaders Enhance Performance

Let's explore how process-oriented leaders help drive businesses and teams forward — and how they can leverage their style for maximum impact.

Starting a Business

He Quit Working in 'Toxic' Restaurants and Started a Business That's on Track to Surpass $150 Million in Revenue: 'Unstoppable Demand'

When Chris Kirby noticed a gap at his local farmer's market, he "sprang into action pretty quickly."

Taxes

4 Tax Strategies Every High-Earning Entrepreneur Needs to Know for 2025

It is not a secret that many high-earning entrepreneurs feel shaken when tax season rolls around. The rules are constantly changing, and the stakes are high. Yet this upheaval also opens up exciting avenues to optimize your financial outcomes through proactive tax planning.

Side Hustle

This 29-Year-Old Quit Working 12-Hour Overnight Shifts Because Her Side Hustle Brings In Up to $8,000 a Month: 'It Makes Me Happy'

Breanna Meertins picked up a fun hobby in her free time — then learned about an opportunity that would change everything.