Saving the Earth for the Future
- Details
- Created on Thursday, 13 November 2014 21:27
- Written by Michael Fisher
NORTHEAST KINGDOM - Earth, as we know, is a beautiful place. With the landing of the robot drone Philae on Comet 67P/C-G, scientists may be able to make Earth a more sustainable living environment.
Comets contain the secrets of the universe, and learning those secrets can open new horizons.
"We're seeing ingredients from the stuff that's in the comet that built the solar system," said Bobby Farlice-Rubio, a tour guide at the Fairbank's Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury. He has been studying the galaxy for many years and believes the comet landing is the first step to preserving life on earth.
Minerals found on comets through scientific studies are the same as those used to make i-Phones and other devices we use every day. The next step scientists and certain businesses hope to take is to mine minerals from comets. "It's probably a good ten to twenty years before anybody is going to launch a spaceship that will be able to do the mining," said Farlice-Rubio, "But it's the next step."
Another plus from this ten-year-in-the-making space mission, called Rosetta, is the possibility of preventing an Armageddon. Landing on a comet is the first step in being able to move such an object off a potential collision course with Earth. Mass destruction or a possible extinction event might be averted.
The benefits of this successful landing on Comet 67P/C-G are boundless. According to scientists from the European Space Agency, analyzing the comet will only improve sustainability of life on Earth.
