Next listening opportunities for #Philae
▻http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2015/04/10/next-listening-opportunities-for-philae
Based on the latest report published by the German Aerospace Centre. Despite #Rosetta’s new trajectory scheme, the orbiter is still able to listen out for its #lander #philae, in case it has woken up from hibernation. Thus a new listening window opens on Sunday, 12 April. “The communication unit on the orbiter will be turned on around the clock,” says Dr Stephan Ulamec, lander manager at DLR. “Most likely, Philae will wake up in May or June, but we don’t want to miss the moment if it should have enough energy and a sufficiently high operating temperature to wake up earlier.” To wake up and listen for signals from Rosetta, Philae must have at least 5.5 watts and an operating temperature above –45 degrees Celsius. With a bit more energy, around 19 watts, Philae would be able to return the ‘call’. (...)