The European Space Agency (ESA) says that its comet probe Philae had fallen into “idle mode” as its batteries ran out.

The Agency said on Saturday it will take a long time for the probe to recharge because Philae ended up in a shady spot. The probe was supposed to have seven hours of light per comet day; instead, it is exposed to one-point-five hours of light a day.

Lander manager Stephan Ulamec said that the probe performed magnificently under tough conditions, noting that Philae managed to send back valuable data before effectively dropping in to stand-by mode.

BBC reported that even if the probe falls silent, it achieved about 80 percent of its mission in light of the amount of data it has sent to Earth so far.

AFP said that ESA expects Philae will recharge within months as the comet is moving toward the sun.