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NASA Wraps Up Genesis Recovery
linuxwrangler writes "NASA scientists are wrapping up the recovery of the Genesis Project. Eileen Stansbery of the Johnson Space Center, said the crash, 'will make the analysis difficult but not impossible...There is nothing that is a total loss,' which is truly good news. The JPL has some nice pictures and video of the recovered bits."
The odds for the probe actually hitting any kind of mattress are so small, that the helicopter stunt was the safer and cheaper bet.
I for one am suitably impressed that a hallow metal shell from (nearly) beyond earth orbit fell through the atmosphere and hit the ground with no parachute or means of breaking at al, yet all this cool stuff survived.
karma: ouch!
Right, but at least the helicopters took several passes and had som training. Comparable odds with mattresses would involve covering an entire county with the inflatable mattresses they use for allowing people to jump on them from tall buildings.
Normal mattresses would jsut inflict damage on the probe.
I think the issue here is the failure of the parachute(s?).
Either stunt helicopters or Zem the stunt mattress from Squornshellous Zeta would have been fine had the 'chutes opened.
Neither could have been in the right place at the right moment with any degree of accuracy without...
Why is it "so probable" that this would happen?
Usually parachutes actually deploys!
The helicopter has several chances to snag a slowly falling object. The sports car only has one.