Story highlights
Contact was lost with the probe in November when its initial battery charge drained after 60 hours on the surface of Comet 67P.
It was originally hoped that after the initial experiments, Philae would operate until March this year when the fierce heat of the sun would likely burn out its components.
But in what appears to be a happy accident, the probe, which is about the size of a washing machine, bounced across the comet's surface in the weak gravity after anchor devices failed, and it landed in a sheltered spot. There wasn't enough sunlight to recharge its batteries but it was protected from the worst of the solar scorching.
Now, as the comet gets closer to the sun, there is enough power to allow the lander to emerge from its dormant state and make contact with the orbiting Rosetta.
"I was thrilled," lander system engineer Laurence O'Rourke told CNN shortly after contact was re-established with Philae.
"We are all delighted. Delighted that Philae survived the long winter. It's a great opportunity ... allows us to do more science."
It now means Philae can continue with experiments up to and beyond the comet's closest approach to the sun in mid-August -- called perihelion.
"It's a bonus," said O'Rourke. "It's incredible that we have a chance to get data from the surface of a comet approaching perihelion. We weren't expecting that."
O'Rourke explained that Philae's two mass memories are full, suggesting that the probe was awake for a few days before making a successful link with the orbiter.
He said the team will now try to retrieve all the data so the memory can be cleared and they can concentrate on gathering near real-time information from the craft -- especially its precise location and orientation.
Experiments that couldn't be carried out in November will be a priority, he said.
Rosetta and its mission
The European Space Agency (ESA), which is leading a consortium that includes NASA to find out more about the composition of comets and how they interact with the sun, has already notched up some notable firsts with the project. It is the first time a mission has successfully orbited a comet, following it on its journey around the sun, and the first time a controlled landing has been made on a comet -- even though Philae encountered a bumpy ride.
And the Rosetta mission has already discovered organic chemicals on the comet surface.
As the comet gets closer to the sun, it will become more active with material being blasted away to form the comet's distinct tail. The orbiter has been recording dramatic pictures of this activity for weeks.
This could cause problems for Philae but O'Rourke is confident it will survive and continue collecting more data from the surface.
"I think we know that Philae is in a quiet location. I'm reasonably sure it's going to survive perihelion," he said.
And what of Rosetta's future?
O'Rourke told CNN that the orbiter will descend to within five kilometers (three miles) of the comet's surface and return images of amazing detail.
But he said they are also proposing extending the mission to September next year when an attempt will be made to spiral Rosetta down to the comet to be parked on its surface. He said a decision was due to made in the next two weeks.
Unlike Philae, Rosetta has many thruster rockets that can help reduce its speed and attitude -- reducing the risk of another bouncy landing.
So could Rosetta survive another six years in its marathon comet-chasing mission and return fresh data from the comet's next return in six years?
"That's the million-dollar question -- but I would think the chances are very low," said O'Rourke.
But given the enduring nature of the mission to date, have the twin probes got a few more surprises still to reveal? We are likely to learn more in the coming weeks as perihelion approaches.
- Philae the comet lander has sent data back to Earth after seven months in hibernation
- Scientists are now hopeful it can continue its mission from its sheltered spot on a comet's surface
- The orbiter Rosetta may be parked on the comet next year when the mission winds down
Contact was lost with the probe in November when its initial battery charge drained after 60 hours on the surface of Comet 67P.
It was originally hoped that after the initial experiments, Philae would operate until March this year when the fierce heat of the sun would likely burn out its components.
But in what appears to be a happy accident, the probe, which is about the size of a washing machine, bounced across the comet's surface in the weak gravity after anchor devices failed, and it landed in a sheltered spot. There wasn't enough sunlight to recharge its batteries but it was protected from the worst of the solar scorching.
Now, as the comet gets closer to the sun, there is enough power to allow the lander to emerge from its dormant state and make contact with the orbiting Rosetta.
"I was thrilled," lander system engineer Laurence O'Rourke told CNN shortly after contact was re-established with Philae.
"We are all delighted. Delighted that Philae survived the long winter. It's a great opportunity ... allows us to do more science."
It now means Philae can continue with experiments up to and beyond the comet's closest approach to the sun in mid-August -- called perihelion.
"It's a bonus," said O'Rourke. "It's incredible that we have a chance to get data from the surface of a comet approaching perihelion. We weren't expecting that."
O'Rourke explained that Philae's two mass memories are full, suggesting that the probe was awake for a few days before making a successful link with the orbiter.
He said the team will now try to retrieve all the data so the memory can be cleared and they can concentrate on gathering near real-time information from the craft -- especially its precise location and orientation.
Experiments that couldn't be carried out in November will be a priority, he said.
Rosetta and its mission
The European Space Agency (ESA), which is leading a consortium that includes NASA to find out more about the composition of comets and how they interact with the sun, has already notched up some notable firsts with the project. It is the first time a mission has successfully orbited a comet, following it on its journey around the sun, and the first time a controlled landing has been made on a comet -- even though Philae encountered a bumpy ride.
And the Rosetta mission has already discovered organic chemicals on the comet surface.
As the comet gets closer to the sun, it will become more active with material being blasted away to form the comet's distinct tail. The orbiter has been recording dramatic pictures of this activity for weeks.
This could cause problems for Philae but O'Rourke is confident it will survive and continue collecting more data from the surface.
"I think we know that Philae is in a quiet location. I'm reasonably sure it's going to survive perihelion," he said.
And what of Rosetta's future?
O'Rourke told CNN that the orbiter will descend to within five kilometers (three miles) of the comet's surface and return images of amazing detail.
But he said they are also proposing extending the mission to September next year when an attempt will be made to spiral Rosetta down to the comet to be parked on its surface. He said a decision was due to made in the next two weeks.
Unlike Philae, Rosetta has many thruster rockets that can help reduce its speed and attitude -- reducing the risk of another bouncy landing.
So could Rosetta survive another six years in its marathon comet-chasing mission and return fresh data from the comet's next return in six years?
"That's the million-dollar question -- but I would think the chances are very low," said O'Rourke.
But given the enduring nature of the mission to date, have the twin probes got a few more surprises still to reveal? We are likely to learn more in the coming weeks as perihelion approaches.
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