Nov 12, 2014 11:36 AM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

For the first time ever, a space agency has landed a satellite on a comet.

The European Space Agency (ESA) learned Wednesday morning that Rosetta successfully attached its Philae lander to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Several news outlets and the agency itself confirmed the mission's success, which has undoubtedly led to exuberant celebration.

According to USA Today, the satellite is some 300 million miles from Earth, so mission managers were not able to control the landing remotely. Rather, they had to rely on pre-set commands and then wait about seven hours for the probe to send back a signal.

At about 11:15 EST Wednesday morning, the Philae lander did just that, with its message taking nearly a half-hour to reach Earth.

The ESA, NASA and scientists everywhere will now have a highly unique and intimate look at a comet as it makes its journey toward the sun. NASA has put more than one rover on Mars and men on the moon, but no one has ever landed a satellite on a comet until Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014.

"We have done all we could to make this a success, now it is up to the lander," Andrea Accomazzo, Rosetta spacecraft operations manager, said from the control room just as Philae begin its descent, according to USA Today. "We can't control the touchdown conditions."

Rosetta had to travel through space in hibernation mode for about two-and-a-half years out of a 10-year trip, the New York Times reported. Rosetta had many tense moments, but they all started in Jan. when it had to snap out of its sleep in deep, deep space. By August, Rosetta reached 67P, then the probe began finessing its way to its target and ESA began the careful selection of the desired landing spot.

Now, the ESA gets to reap the rewards of their groundbreaking comet-landing mission.

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