Rosetta awakens, does great job, crashed, job done.

My understanding is that it isn't the orientation of the lander so much as the fact that it is in shadow and therefore won't be able to recharge its batteries.

Deeming it a "massive failure" is, IMO way too harsh. People tend to forget how hostile space is, and for a craft to basically be asleep for 10 years and then still successfully complete the vast majority of it mission is really quite an accomplishment. If not for the harpoon malfunction, the mission would have been virtually flawless. They are to be commended for their navigation skills alone.
 
Philae spotted on the bounce.

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It's probably lucky that it hit a crater, that wall it's resting up against obviously slowed it's upward and forward momentum, if it had carried on bouncing as it would have done due to the weak gravitational forces then it's perfectly possible that it could have bounced completely off the comet.
 
If I think of one, I'll get back to you!

Does anyone know, with the little fella now in standby mode due to low power, is the inention to let it charge it up as best they can and then do a little more each time?
 
It's a good question cider_and_toast, one that I cannot answer. But my little brain has also been cogitating on this; if they're getting a little sunlight each day then over time that should build up to a store of usable power, unless the little they're getting is only sufficient to keep the "little fella" hibernated.
I need more facts!!!!
Might book a flight to Nevada and hammer on the warehouse doors.
 
I know they've managed to raise the lander and rotate the largest solar cell to get the maximum of what little sunlight there is but as you say Geth, is that enought to keep it in standby or will it give any useable power over time?
 
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