A robotic probe from a European spacecraft is making its way toward a distant comet, where scientists hope it will land and make history.

The European Space Agency said the Philae probe has separated from the Rosetta spacecraft — the first step in its seven hour journey to the comet.

Rosetta has been orbiting Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko — six billion kilometers from Earth — since August.  It arrived after a 10 year trip from Earth.

A problem with the thruster that was supposed to keep the probe from bouncing back into space means it may have to rely on its harpoons to anchor to the comet’s surface.

The mission was already risky, but if successful would be the first landing of its kind and could give scientists new insights into the origins of the solar system.
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