Amazing news that a landing craft made touchdown on a passing asteroid.
The Rosetta satellite travelled 10 years through space to get within striking distance of comet 67P, before launching the craft into what was virtually a 20km free fall.
As one commentator pointed out, that is equivalent to dropping a washing machine from twice the cruising height of an airliner, and controlling its landing, from 310 million miles away. And yet the science is not enough.
Conspiracy theorists need more. They claim the effort by the European Space Agency was only made because the asteroid is actually an alien spacecraft that has been sending out a sing-song radio signal for the last 20 years.
Ufologist Scott Waring believes the signal is a greeting to humans.
“If it was a warning, they would not allow the ESA craft to have landed. I believe the landing of the ESA craft was the equivalent of a first handshake.”
Oo-er, missus.
Others suggest the craft is stranded and the radio signal is being beamed back to its home galaxy for help. So what will happen when a fleet of alien space ships appear in our skies next Bank Holiday Monday?
“By heck, our Brian. I thought the Tour de France was grand but now they’ve brought Farnborough Air Show to Yorkshire. Get t’bunting out.”
Other conspiracy theorists say the 67P comet contains the remnants of some ancient civilisation.
“It shows signs of unnatural terrain,”one said.
Of course it does. It’s an asteroid.
Donning my investigative journalist hat, I swept the internet for evidence that the original spacemen from 67P had actually built the pyramids, founded Atlantis and taught the Neanderthals how to make fire and a wheel. I found none.
But I found plenty of equally bizarre claims that say aliens are already walking among us disguised as humans (and I think we all know a few of those); a humanoid was seen driving an all-terrain vehicle on Mars (well, he wouldn’t have been in a Ford Fiesta, would he?); a ghost has been caught on CCTV in Kuala Lumpur; and that NASA has announced the end of the world, but we missed it.
I am not a total sceptic to the possibility of alien life form. Moonrocket scientist Wernher Von Braun said: “The sun is one of 100 billion stars in our galaxy.
“Our galaxy is one of billions of galaxies populating the universe.
“It would be the height of presumption to think that we are the only living thing in that enormous immensity.”
But I would like to believe the alternative theory that the 67P comet is inhabited by the Clangers.
After all, the price seems about right and, if Earth ever decides to send Bruce Willis, the Soup Dragon will be able to feed him.
