An unusual experiment in which an 820-pound copper probe was shot into a comet has found that the comet is made up mostly of powderlike particles barely held together by gravity, scientists said Tuesday.
The probe did not hit any dense ice, indicating Tempel I has no solid core.
"There is no bulk ice. The ice is all in the form of tiny grains".
Соответственно, успешное "приземление" на комету маловероятно:
The porousness of the comet might mean that it would be difficult for the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft to land on Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in November 2014, Keller said.
"You cannot land on this surface, you would just sink into the comet, there is no resistance," said Keller.
Я вот еще подумал, что это лишнее подтверждение гипотезе, что Тунгусский метеорит был кометой. Этакий рыхлый снежок...
MaxSt.