The Rosetta comet landing was a success, but the Philae probe is in a tight spot and awkwardly perched.

The European Space Agency deliberates on the status of the Philae lander, awkwardly perched and in a tight spot.

In spite of reports the Rosetta comet landing was a success, the lander deployed on the surface of the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko needs secure footing to operate as expected. The Philae lander is stable and working nonetheless.

The robotic Philae lander touched down on the comet Wednesday, after ten years of multiple, catapulted laps around the Solar System, in an effort to catch up with the comet. While the lander deployed smoother than ESA experts expected, one of its feet is raised instead of grounded.

The Philae also ended up being deployed in the shadow of a high cliff, not the ideal landing spot scientists had hoped for.

The Rosetta comet probe launched March 2004, and has been orbiting the comet since August this year. The mission intends to discover more about the origins of life, also if comets carried water which possibly jumpstarted life on Earth.

ESA scientists are keen on carrying through certain tasks the Philae was built for; drilling is put on hold, as the lander's uneasy position could propel it off the ground and off the comet once the drilling commences.

Rosetta comet pictures were sent back to Earth with a 20-minute lag, revealing close-up photos of the comet's surface.

The lander will run on batteries for the two days, and will switch to solar power afterwards. Its landing position only allows it one and a half hours of sunlight a day instead of the required seven, though, and ESA scientists are figuring out whether to settle or attempt to move the lander into a better spot.

The Rosetta comet landing was plagued with near-misses all throughout, and the success was a triumph for ESA, and consequently the entire human race. This is the first time man has successfully orbited and landed a probe on the surface of a comet.

Philae's lead scientist Jean-Pierre Bibring comments on the dilemma: "We are running against the clock," referring to the Philae's battery, which runs out on Saturday. "Don't put the emphasis on failure, it is gorgeous where we are." (theguardian.com)