ESA announced on Monday, September 15, 2014 that the landing site for Rosetta’s Philae lander has been decided. It is Site J on the top of the “head” of the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, which is an irregularly shaped world that is just over 4 kilometers across at its widest point.
The Philae lander will set down on the comet on November 11. It will perform in-depth measurements to characterize the comet’s nucleus in situ, in a way that’s never been possible before.
Backup site will be Site C.
The decision to select Site J as the primary site was unanimous, ESA said, adding that the site was chosen because it offers the chance for the lander to analyze pristine material – characterize the properties of the nucleus – and study processes that drive the comet’s activity as it approaches its 2015 perihelion, or closest point to the sun.
Read more about Site J as the landing site for the Rosetta mission, from ESA