After landing on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the Philae lander launched by European Space Agency's Rosetta probe is still missing. Scientists anxiously wait for its signal.

The Rosetta spacecraft was launched in 2004, travelling across deep space to reach comet 67P. When Rosetta caught up with the comet in August 2014, this historic event marked the first time a spacecraft was able to orbit a comet.

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In November, the Philae probe from Rosetta landed on the surface of the comet but had a hard landing and bounced off across its terrain. Shortly after, the lander's battery died. It did, however, manage to send important data before it went into hibernation mode.

During this mission, Rosetta was able to take hundreds of high resolution images of comet 67P but hasn't yet located its sleeping lander. ESA scientists suggest it's best to wait for a signal from the lander as soon as it wakes up.

The ESA mission team suggests Philae's touch down on the surface of the comet involved bouncing off on its surface four times.

Rosetta's Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) also captured images of the first landing of the Philae lander. Scientists believe Philae is hidden under a deep shadow of a cliff but they are still waiting for visual confirmation.

The latest image from OSIRIS suggests Philae could be above the rim of a large depression called Hatmehit found on the comet's small lobe.

The reason why Philae's battery died is that it's not getting enough sunlight to power its solar panels. The lander must get 6.5 hours of solar power during the 12.4 hours of comet day. At its current location, Philae is only getting 1.3 hours of sunlight.

Scientists hope the lander will wake up by late March. It can take a few months before the lander can start sending signals and data again back to the Rosetta probe.

Philae needs 17 watts of power to wake up. Scientists believe Philae will receive enough sunlight for its solar panels in May.

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