Genesis Mission Science

[spacester]

The Genesis mission will be returning samples of the solar wind tomorrow.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">The samples are bits of the Sun--the solar wind, actually--which Genesis has spent the last 27 months collecting. Scientists believe the solar wind is almost identical in composition to the primeval solar nebula, the cloud from which the Sun and planets condensed 4.5 billion years ago. Examining pristine bits of the solar wind amount to examining the "stuff" of our origins--hence the name "Genesis."</font><br /><br />Whenever I read "scientists believe" I get to thinking . . . <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />Conclusions will be drawn based on the assumption that the particles are almost identical to the primeval solar nebula.<br /><br />My question is: what will be done to verify the assumption itself? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[sloracer]

There's a link on the Genesis Mission in the Missions Thread. Near the bottom is an address where you can send your questions and get a response. I'm sure they've got a lot of work cut out for those samples they've acquired.

 

[alokmohan]

We are anticipating great revealations.

 

[yurkin]

They could have compared these samples to a spectral analysis of other nebula. Those nebulae believed to be similar to the one that our system formed in. If the spectral analysis matches up then it’s a good bet that sample is part of the ancient solar system.<br /><br />That is if they are intact <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /><br />

 

[robnissen]

Dammit!!!<br /><br />http://www.space.com/news/genesis_captured_040908.html

 

[lunatic133]

We don't know yet if the mission was a complete failure. They still have to figure out how to dig it out first :-/