Scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) have revealed that if all goes as per plan, then Philae, a lander riding aboard the agency's Rosetta spacecraft, will touch down on its target - the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 11. It is the first time any space agency will attempt soft comet landing.

Rosetta is a robotic space probe built and launched by the European Space Agency in 2004. It is on a 10-year voyage to perform a detailed study of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The Philae lander has a small distance to cover to reach the comet's surface.

The basic aim of the Rosetta mission is to have a better understanding of how comets act as one of the building blocks of the solar system, their composition and how they react as they get close to the sun.

Rosetta has spent the past month revolving around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, or 67P to help ESA scientists gather more information about the comet's strange composition. All this while, Rosetta has been doing comet mapping and characterization of the comet so as to determine a stable orbit and viable landing location for Philae.

In late August, the researchers narrowed down on five landing sites, which are mostly located on the smaller of the two lobes of the comets. It has been the goal of the space agency to ensure smooth landing on the comet. The ESA officials said that more investigation will be carried out so as to figure out which of the site will be safe for landing in terms of boulder hazards as well as lighting conditions.

Once Philae lands on the comet, it will remain at work on the surface for at least few weeks. In this span, the researchers will conduct studies that will help figure out the amount of dust and gas that can stream away in the surface of the comet when the sun heats it.