Genesis mission: hopes are high
p2pnet.net OT News:- The idea was for helicopter stunt pilots to catch the Genesis space capsule in mid-air and bring it gently back to earth.
But it didn’t happen. The drogue parachute that was supposed to carry it to within reach of the choppers failed and the canister roman-candled to the Utah desert.
In August 2001, NASA launched the Genesis spacecraft to take up orbit beyond Earth’s magnetic field and where our gravity and the sun’s are balanced.
Once in position, the Genesis spacecraft uncovered its collectors and particles of solar wind embedded themselves into ultra-pure silicon wafers and other materials.
The mission lasted for 1,125 days, 884 of which were devoted to absorbing the particles which, scientists hoped, would unlock secrets about the origin of the solar system.
The mission capsule ended up partially buried in the desert, but, “Scientists who conducted the preliminary assessment of the Genesis canister are encouraged by what they see,” says the status report. “They believe it may be possible to achieve the most important portions of their science objectives.”
Orlando Figueroa, deputy associate administrator for programs for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said:
“We are bouncing back from a hard landing, and spirits are picking up again,” and Dr Roger Wiens of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, a member of the Genesis science team, said based on initial inspection, he and other experts now believe it’s possible a repository of solar wind materials may have survived that’ll keep the science community busy for some time.
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See:-
Status Report - “We are bouncing back from a hard landing“
Site - The Mission
Site - An Overview
