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NASA Wraps Up Genesis Recovery

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the data-recovery dept.

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."

8 of 20 comments (clear)

  1. Pictures... by tod_miller · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I hope they remind you how dangerous this 'space' is... I wouldn't like this to be a manned operation I was reading about.

    Lighter note, half way down the images it looks like they are making a mosiac in honour of the mission...

    Did anyone else get that feeling, when reading about the stunt helicopters, that this would happen?

    I mean, why even bother with the stunt helicopters... it was so probable that this would happen.

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    1. Re:Pictures... by TykeClone · · Score: 3, Funny

      But if we covered the whole country with those mattresses, think of how much fun it would be to jump off buildings while waiting for the pod to land!

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    2. Re:Pictures... by tod_miller · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Inflatable 'air bags' was my suggestion when I heard about this.

      A couple of sports cars (trying not to get hit!) move around a zone of potential contact (they knew where it would land about)

      as it gets closer, you know more about where it will be, the airbags auto inflate [exoplosively] when the probe is within 25 meters of the ground.

      If it hits one the air is pushed out quickly, but slowly cushions its fall.

      How is a helicopter going to 'snare it' with a better chance than a stunt driver just driving to the best location and inflating a huge crash bag?

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    3. Re:Pictures... by brainburger · · Score: 2, Insightful

      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...

    4. Re:Pictures... by Seahawk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why is it "so probable" that this would happen?

      Usually parachutes actually deploys!

    5. Re:Pictures... by Josh+Booth · · Score: 2, Informative

      Helicopters or airplanes of some sort were used to recover the film canisters from spy satellites during the cold war in exactly the same way. It's not like its never been done before. Of course, it's hard to grab onto the parachute when the parachute doesn't even deploy.

    6. Re:Pictures... by dbavirt · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The helicopter has several chances to snag a slowly falling object. The sports car only has one.

  2. Wow by krel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

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