Comet first: European Space Agency lands Rosetta spacecraft on speeding target

DARMSTADT, Germany (AP) — The European Space Agency says it has succeeded in landing a spacecraft on a comet for the first time in history.

The agency says it has received a signal from the 100-kilogram (220-pound) Philae lander after it touched down on the icy surface of the comet named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

The landing on the speeding comet marks the highlight of the decade-long Rosetta spacecraft’s mission to study comets and learn more about the origins of these celestial bodies.