The European Space Agency (ESA) has admittedly been out of touch with their comet-chasing Rosetta satellite, though that could be changing soon.

According to BBC News, mission managers have devised a method involving the satellite to track and project Comet 67P's movements. What they have concluded is the lump of ice and dust is spinning slower day by day.

"The aerodynamic effects are now more and more important. The jets are getting stronger and stronger," Andrea Accomazzo, an ESA flight director, told BBC News. "To give you an idea, these gases come out of the comet for a few kilometers and are moving at 800 meters per second.

"We definitely have to take this into account. We are a big spacecraft with 64 square meters of solar panels. We're like a big sail."

In the mean time, the ESA is "waiting patiently" for the satellite's Philae lander to get into a position where it is capable to soak up the sun's rays and turn itself back on. When it made its historic landing, Philae bounced and wound up in a spot shielded from the sun, soon transitioning to hibernation mode.

Rosetta team members have occasionally checked in with Philae, but to no avail yet.

"It was a very early attempt; we will repeat this process until we receive a response from Philae," DLR Project Manager Stephan Ulamec, said in an ESA blog post. "We have to be patient."

The ESA is still putting the comet's anticipated close encounter with the sun in Aug., and they hope Philae will be able to turn on before then.

"The problem is that even if Philae hears Rosetta, it has to have enough charge to turn on its radio transmitter," Accomazzo told BBC News. "I put it at 50-50, but I will be the happiest person in the world if it happens."