ESA's comet lander is stuck in the shadows (and it needs solar power)

15 Nov 2014 • engadget.com

When the Philae lander reached the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after a decade in space, the ESA expected it to draw energy from the sun to power its scientific instruments. Unfortunately, it’s now stuck in the worst place possible: in the shade, where it’s exposed to the sun only three hours per day. According to the probe’s lead scientist Jean-Pierre Bibring: “We are exactly below a cliff, so we are in a shadow permanently.”

Oops. We really need nuclear power for these things.