After a public vote, the landing site "J" finally received the name "Hiloquija".
The site "J" is located on a small elevation of the comet 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko was initially chosen as the place where the chances of a successful landing were the highest. The fillet landing module is planned to be separated from the Rosette satellite and planted on the surface of the comet on November 12.
ESA, as well as German, French and Italian space agencies, held a public competition last month to select the name of the landing site. More than 8,000 proposals from 135 countries were submitted, so the selection process was far from simple. The judges even needed one extra day to select the winner.
In the end, the winner was chosen. 150 participants suggested the name of Agilkiya for the place of landing Fillets.
The official website of the Rosetta mission explains:
The landing site, formerly known as the "J", is named after the island of Agilia, located on the Nile River in southern Egypt. The complex of ancient Egyptian buildings, including the famous temple of Isis, was moved to Hagilkiya from Phile Island, when the latter was submerged during the construction of the Aswan Dam in the last century.
“There was no more appropriate name,” says Fred Jansen, ESA Rosetta Mission Manager. "The relocation of temples from Filet to the island of Agilkia was an ambitious project implemented in the 1960s and 1970s to preserve the archaeological imprint of ancient history."
"Eight days later, the Fillet will be deployed from the orbiter to Hagilkiya. On November 12, we will witness a unique landing on a comet, which is an even more ambitious project that will help to reveal the secrets of the cosmos."
