Philae Becomes First Spacecraft Ever To Land On A Comet

While moviegoers are watching Matthew McConaughey fly into the bowels of a giant fictional wormhole, scientists in reality are making a huge leap in the quest to understand our final frontier.

This morning, the European Space Agency (ESA) landed what is now the first spacecraft ever to touch down on a comet.

In August, the unmanned craft Rosetta became the first to be put into orbit around a comet.

Now, 10 years after launching, Rosetta sent its smaller 220-pound probe Philae on a course for the surface of the comet 67P/C-G.

Veteran space reporter Kelly Beatty spoke with Here & Now’s Robin Young and Sacha Pfeiffer from ESA's headquarters in Germany about the landing.