Solar riches survive probe crash

[telfrow]

<font color="yellow"><b>Great News!</b></font><br /><br /><i>Scientists have been able to extract precious information from the smashed remains of the Genesis space capsule. <br /><br />The capsule, carrying captured particles blown off the Sun, crashed into the Utah desert in 2004, after its parachute failed. <br /><br />Less than half the samples are useable, but researchers have been working hard to recover what they can. <br /><br />They have been presenting their first results at a major science meeting in Houston, Texas.<br /><br />"We've managed to actually pull something out of this. We've done it," said the mission's chief scientist Don Burnett, from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). <br /><br />-------<br /><br />The biggest problem facing scientists hoping to study the surviving Genesis samples is contamination. When the capsule was wrenched apart on impact with the desert floor, material from our planet got mixed in with the solar wind samples. <br /><br />However, mission scientists have found that the solar wind material is embedded deeper in the sample collection plate than terrestrial contaminants, offering hope that the contamination signal can be minimised. <br /><br />"I think we will be able to do everything we wanted to do, but it will take us longer. Ask me in a year and a half, I'll be in a better position to say," said Dr Burnett. </i><br /><br />Full Story Here <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

WOOHOO!<br /><br />I know they said months ago that they thought they could tease the solar wind samples out, but it's wonderful to hear that confirmed. Genesis was one of the more innovative missions of the decade, and it's nice to see some success get salvaged from its unintentional "lithobraking" maneuver. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[llivinglarge]

*Watches probe crash video*<br /><br />PWN'D!

 

[bonzelite]

awesome. great going to the team of engineers and scientists. so much cool stuff yet to become uncovered --and more questions awaiting us all from the findings, i'm sure. <br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[telfrow]

It's just too bad that it sounds like the recovery process is going to be long and involved...meaning the release of the findings will be delayed. But after seeing the thing crash in the desert, it's amazing they were able to recover anything. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[cosmictalk]

Was there melting temps added to the samples from the crash from compacting so hard into other materials?<br /><br />This is very fascinating!

 

[CalliArcale]

I don't think it hit quite that hard, judging by the photos of the impact. It was severely battered and cracked open, but otherwise largely intact. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[robnissen]

"I don't think it hit quite that hard."<br /><br />NASA actually got very lucky in that the normal rock-hard ground of the desert landing siite, had just recieved a major rain storm that greatly softened the surface. My guess is, that butfor that rainstorm, all the samples would have been lost.