The Philae lander, part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta mission, achieved a historic milestone by landing on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, a celestial body orbiting the Sun in the outer solar system. Launched in 2004, the Rosetta probe carried Philae for ten years, during which it traveled approximately 6.4 billion kilometers to reach its destination. On November 12, 2014, after years of meticulous planning and execution, Philae descended to the comet's surface, marking humanity's first successful landing on a comet, a feat never achieved before in space exploration. The soft-landing mechanism, comprising harpoons and a structure designed to anchor the lander, was crucial for the success of this mission, ensuring that Philae would not bounce off the comet’s low gravity. Although the landing site was not the initially planned target due to unexpected surface conditions, Philae managed to collect data from its diverse scientific instruments, which included a drill for subsurface analysis, spectrometers, and more, revealing the compositional and physical properties of the comet.

Scientists were overjoyed with the data Philae transmitted back to Earth, despite some challenges faced during operations. Initially expected to operate for only a few days, Philae exceeded expectations, functioning for several months while it collected data about the comet's surface materials, organic compounds, and overall structure. The mission not only provided insights into comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko but also opened new avenues for understanding the early solar system's conditions and the formation of planets and potentially the origin of life. Through its groundbreaking discoveries, the Philae lander and the Rosetta mission fueled scientific discussions and laid groundwork for future exploration of similar celestial bodies.