Genesis probe
The NASA Genesis probe was a spacecraft sent out as part of the Genesis mission to collect samples of solar wind. The intention of the mission was to help establish the composition and the formation process of the Solar System.
The craft was launched on August 8, 2001, and sent to orbit between the earth and the Sun where the gravity of both bodies was balanced. During its flight the craft collected solar wind samples during specific time periods when the solar winds had different speeds, thus being able to collate data on different solar processes and activities. It supported previous data obtained from the Moon during the Apollo moon exploration missions. However, Genesis crashed upon re-entry on September 4, 2004, landing in the Utah desert, when its drogue parachute and parafoil did not deploy.
Recovered foils from the craft were able to help determine the isotopic composition of the Sun [1]. On 10 March 2008, at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas, it was confirmed that despite the crash landing, crucial data were able to be salvaged from the craft and the major scientific objectives of the mission would be met.[2]
- ↑ http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/318/5849/433 A. Meshik et al. Science 318, 433–435; 2007 Accessed 15 March, 2008
- ↑ http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080313/full/452259a.html, accessed 15 March 2008
Genesis Mission - NASA Information
Genesis Probe Info (prepared prior to the Sep 8, 2004 crash)