Goodbye, Philae?

It's not over yet.

During the night, after relaying all data gathered during its primary science phase on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Rosetta's Philae lander switched into idle mode, shutting down its science instruments and most systems onboard.

With little battery-life remaining and not enough sunlight to recharge, the probe potentially entered a lengthy period of silence when contact was lost at 7:36 p.m. eastern Nov. 14, not long before a scheduled communication loss would have occurred anyway, as the Rosetta spacecraft orbited below the horizon.

Just before contact was lost, however, mission controllers sent commands to the orbiter to rotate Philae's solar panels to a position that would afford more sun exposure.

Without this added sunlight, Philae will not have enough power to “wake up,” and no contact will be possible.

ESA says the next opportunity to make contact opens today, Nov. 15, at about 5 a.m. Eastern.

"This machine performed magnificently under tough conditions, and we can be fully proud of the incredible scientific success Philae has delivered,” said Stephan Ulamec, Philae lander manager at DLR.

ESA says even if ground controllers are unable to make contact today, they will continue to listen for a signal from Philae into the future.

Even without Philae, the Rosetta mission will continue, as the main spacecraft follows 67P over the next year as it circles to the Sun.