Aratinga
09-08-2004, 11:35 AM
... and the capsule hit the ground -- hard. This virtually destroyed the delicate collection of ions trapped on the sapphire and diamond wafers inside. Hollywood stunt pilots have been practicing all week hooking the capsule's parachute to lower it gently to earth; no one seemed to consider what would happen if the chute itself failed.
Another failed NASA mission. Gawd, I feel sorry for them... what a shame.
Background on the Genesis mission:
Scientists have long wanted to capture a sample of particles straight from the Sun. While the Sun is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium, there are small amounts of all other elements as well. The exact composition of the Sun is yet to be determined, as is an understanding of how that chemical makeup resulted in the diverse collection of planets and other bodies in the solar system.
For the Genesis scientists, it is crucial that the particles be pure and unaltered from any interaction with Earth's magnetic field. To obtain this pristine sample, a spacecraft had to be sent deep into space, far beyond the extensive magnetic environment of Earth.
NASA's Genesis, a robotic spacecraft, was launched in August 2001 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It traveled to an area in space between Earth and the Sun where the gravity of the two bodies is balanced. There, it collected solar wind particles for more than two years from an area in space far from the interfering effects of any planet.
The particles were embedded in specially designed and manufactured, high-purity wafers of sapphire, silicon, diamond and other materials. Now this pure sample of solar particles is being brought to Earth.
Another failed NASA mission. Gawd, I feel sorry for them... what a shame.
Background on the Genesis mission:
Scientists have long wanted to capture a sample of particles straight from the Sun. While the Sun is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium, there are small amounts of all other elements as well. The exact composition of the Sun is yet to be determined, as is an understanding of how that chemical makeup resulted in the diverse collection of planets and other bodies in the solar system.
For the Genesis scientists, it is crucial that the particles be pure and unaltered from any interaction with Earth's magnetic field. To obtain this pristine sample, a spacecraft had to be sent deep into space, far beyond the extensive magnetic environment of Earth.
NASA's Genesis, a robotic spacecraft, was launched in August 2001 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It traveled to an area in space between Earth and the Sun where the gravity of the two bodies is balanced. There, it collected solar wind particles for more than two years from an area in space far from the interfering effects of any planet.
The particles were embedded in specially designed and manufactured, high-purity wafers of sapphire, silicon, diamond and other materials. Now this pure sample of solar particles is being brought to Earth.