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Capturing Genesis

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the thats-just-bizarre dept.

cbull writes "USA Today has an article about practice for the attempts to capture the Genesis capsule. Helicopter stunt pilots will have 5 chances to capture the 400-lb. capsule. Military pilots were unavailable, due to the 6-year commitment required."

9 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. In Utah? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    JPL is going to be at the University of Utah and if you buy a ticket, you can watch a live feed of the catch at Kingsbury Hall.

    But why are we letting the Mormons, the very people trying to destroy Linux (sco), host such an event?

  2. Re:Bigger Parachute by exi1ed0ne · · Score: 4, Informative

    "If the Genesis capsule hits the ground hard, scientists say they'd have to spend months sorting through broken jewelry-studded disks holding tiny solar wind particles."

    Reading is fundamental

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    Pessimists.net - as if life wasn't depressing enough.
  3. Re:Bigger Parachute by vandoravp · · Score: 5, Informative

    Another article in some other paper (sorry no link) said that they did not want to risk any kind of touch down since it was carrying actual samples. Any significant shock could damage the sample container which would lead to either a loss of particles or contamination-not good either way. They're just playing it safe and doing away with that kind of landing all together. Besides, it's damn cool.

  4. Re:Bigger Parachute by betelgeuse-4 · · Score: 4, Informative

    "If the capsule were to descend all the way to the ground, [the wafers used to trap the particles] might fracture or break away from their mountings; hence, the midair retrieval by helicopter ..."

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    Decode these
  5. Re:6 year commitment? by jon787 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually I sent these people some email after hearing a claim of this being a first (which isn't true, project Corona did mid-air recovery of returning space capsules) and they have a few people who did this during project Corona.

    Closest Thing to a Corona Homepage

    --
    X(7): A program for managing terminal windows. See also screen(1).
  6. MARS in the Early 70s by iCharles · · Score: 3, Informative
    The six-year commitment explanation made me feel a lot better. All the coverage made a big deal about a "stunt pilot" doing this maneuver.


    This sounds only a little more difficult that the recovery of drones ("UAVs" in today's parlance) during the early 70s. In this, drones would be captured in mid-air by a CH-3.


    (My dad flew the CH-3 part of this set-up)


    Not saying that there aren't new aspects, merely that the capability was present 30 years ago.

  7. Re:Hmm... sounds tricky by Deadstick · · Score: 3, Informative
    So, what the hell rates a 10?

    Landing on an aircraft carrier at night.

    rj

  8. Re:6 year commitment? by Deadstick · · Score: 2, Informative

    Yep, they used to snatch the parachutes with a T-shaped bar trailing from a C-119...if you can do it with a 60,000-pound, 200 mph airplane, you can certainly do it with a helicopter.

    rj

  9. Re:Bigger Parachute by dspacemonkey · · Score: 4, Informative

    Catching it as it falls from orbit is a tried and tested technique too.

    It was used to catch film from spy satellites back in the days when they still used wet film. Theres a description of the first satellites to use it (Corona) here, and the google cache for good measure.

    So catching payloads in mid air has a longer history and more successful reoveries than a couple of mars landers. They did use military pilots though ;o)