Wake up Rosetta!

[rogerg]

Congratulations!!  So very awesome.

[Mikey]

Well yesterday I committed the most heinous act of basking in reflected glory!
My cries of 'I know that guy! I've had a curry with him!'
Anyway Mark, whatever happens in the next few hours you should all be bloody proud of yourselves for this amazing achievement. Well done.

That's just what I did as well, and a definite WORD there

[catherine]

Just saw that legendary media tart, TA, on the BBC 10 o'clock news. He does get around a bit, doesn't he? 

[rogerg]

pics.  OF A FREAKING COMET!!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanspaceagency/sets/72157638315605535/?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

congratulations, TA.  Just so damn amazing.

[owen]

Just saw that legendary media tart, TA, on the BBC 10 o'clock news. He does get around a bit, doesn't he? 

Gutted! I've just heard he's not on Graham Norton tonight

[Brom]

I have trouble finding Ikea in Milton Keynes, and I've been there before, and it's signposted..... ~4billion miles!! Truly amazing!!

[sawtooth]

Just saw that legendary media tart, TA, on the BBC 10 o'clock news. He does get around a bit, doesn't he? 

  I did guffaw at that one Catherine!

[MikeEvs]

Just saw that legendary media tart, TA, on the BBC 10 o'clock news. He does get around a bit, doesn't he? 

Just watched it on iplayer

[Trapezium Artist]

Hey, thanks all: truly, deeply appreciated comments from you all here 

I've been running around in circles being a media tart (thank you, Catherine) all week, so this is the first time I've had a chance to drop by my friends' house, so to speak. Lovely people.

I must've been on endless BBC news broadcasts, telly, radio, the lot, including 5Live this morning; also did a lot with ITV in the past couple of days, as well Channel 4 with Jon Snow, Sky News, CNN, A Jazeera, and loads of others; I've completely and totally lost track of the number of times I've been miked up and powdered up (or not, putting full scary shiny pate on show under the lights). Sky At Night have a big programme on the week tomorrow, plus there were hour-long National Geographic and Discovery Channel documentaries where I fear I featured frequently.

Perhaps the highlight was broadcasting live on BBC News and BBC World simultaneously to millions (so I was told) with Becky Morelle during the landing moment itself. We were outside the real Rosetta control room, yakking, waiting for a signal, while watching the feed from the main control room you saw in all the shots, which is just used for big events because it looks more impressive 

There was suddenly a big cheer from behind us in the Rosetta control room, which surprised us; but I figured it out and called the successful landing on telly five seconds before the delayed signals (don't ask me why) got to the MCR, where they then erupted too. Another Frost*ie first 

A media tart of the highest order indeed, but I hope at least some of it came across coherently.

But, but, but ... much more important than all the personal luvvie stuff, it has been a massive team achievement by everyone in ESA and our partner agencies: we really did something amazing this week. Yes, it would have been nice if Philae's docking systems had worked properly and we'd had more than 2.5 days of stuff before the battery ran out, but he's only sleeping in his dark nest. We got almost all of the primary science done as planned, and when we get closer to the Sun, he could come out of hibernation. And Rosetta is operating flawlessly and will give us grandstand seats when the comet blossoms into full life next year: it's not over by any means.

Finally, a big round of applause is needed for my comms team and our colleagues throughout ESA, who bust their guts to do enormous amounts of social media and other comms work this week and over all of 2014: while the mission itself has been hugely successful, I have no doubt that we played our part in helping it become a global-scale event, which was astonishing and humbling to be a part of.

'Nuff said. Thanks again for all the kind words: it has been a blast.

Am now going to finally drive the five hours home and reflect a bit in the car on what happened this week. Of course, I expect the phone to keep ringing from 98 separate, uncoordinated arms of the BBC to request further stuff. Never, ever give that lot your mobile number 

[JakeWorrell]

What an incredible achievement by the ESA team. It blows my tiny little mind when I try to think about what it is that has actually happened.

Congratulations to all involved!

[DueyC]

Meanwhile on newsbiscuit...

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2014/11/14/first-pictures-received-of-elated-boffins/

[rogerg]

heh

[Mikey]

I liked this quote from TA that is still available on iPlayer I believe

Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they leave me parking probes on comets................Now that's more like it

[DueyC]

Which of his many appearances yielded that gem?

[Trapezium Artist]

Which of his many appearances yielded that gem?

The special private one I did on MikeylandTV, I think. Audience of one.