NASA Genesis Reentry Visible from Oregon to Utah

Posted by timothy on Wednesday September 8, 2004 @02:01AM from the quick-run-outside-and-hold-your-breath dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Genesis spacecraft will be visible as an artificial meteor starting in early morning over Oregon until its spectacular helicopter capture above the Utah desert (11 AM EST in the US). Although today's reentry simulates meteor physics, the valuable payload for Genesis is a billion billion atoms on semiconductor wafers now showered with solar wind particles. Unlike the Russian space program, few American capsules have tried overland reentries until the two extraterrestrial sample return missions, Genesis today and Stardust in 2006." Update: 09/08 16:04 GMT by T : RossCarlson writes "Stuck at work today and can't watch Nasa capture the Genesis probe live on TV? You can stream it in both Windows Media and Real (Video | Audio) formats from Nasa TV. Looks like the estimated capture time is around 10:10 a.m. PST. I for one can't wait to see them capture it!"

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First pictures of Genesis entering the atmosphere by wertarbyte · 2004-09-08 02:18 · Score: 2, Funny

first image

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Life is just nature's way of keeping meat fresh.
acme parachutes. by joper90 · 2004-09-08 04:13 · Score: 2, Funny

I still waiting the parachute to pop out in a road runner style then an anvil to fall on top of it..
This just in... by OneOver137 · 2004-09-08 04:18 · Score: 2, Funny

It dug a big hole in the ground...they had no chance to catch it as the chute did not deploy. Curiously though, a "black oily substance" was seen leaking out of the capsule.