Genesis Crashes...

[FoxyKaye]

This just broke my heart, like so many pieces of a space probe on the desert floor: http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/09/08/genesis.entry.cnn/index.html

NASA's definitely had some tough times lately.

Although, I confess my first thought was: "Genesis?! Genesis planet forbidden. Permits many, money more."

And my second thought was: "I've come a long way for the power of Genesis, and what do I find, but a human boy, a Vulcan and a woman!"

 

[emw]

I was just reading more about the Genesis project the other day and was looking forward to the return. I hadn't seen this news yet - truly saddening to lose 2 years worth of effort to gain some valuable insight on the solar system.

Nice quotes, by the way. Mine would have to be "Khan, you bloodsucker!" and, of course, "'You cheated!' 'No, I just changed the rules by which the game was played.'"

 

[wdlove]

I was very saddened by the news also. It was distressing to hear. My thoughts are with NASA. Hoping that there will be something in the wreckage that will be useful to further science.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Yeah, this is a bit of a blow for NASA - but my first thought on this was Andromeda Strain.....

Hope that won't be sci-fi turned reality.....

D

 

[keysersoze]

Disappointing? Very.

Devastating? I don't think so... nobody died. Maybe something can be learned from the "failure" (like how to make parachutes that WORK). Fixing failure points now will save more pain and frustration (and possibly lives) in the future.

 

[FoxyKaye]

Devastating? I don't think so... nobody died. Maybe something can be learned from the "failure" (like how to make parachutes that WORK). Fixing failure points now will save more pain and frustration (and possibly lives) in the future.

No, it's true... Challenger and Columbia were devastating, this is just kinda sad.

Like a lot of folks on MR, I suspect, I just think space exploration is really neato. Hopefully, this will bolster the argument for greater NASA funding so they can do better (and safer) projects in the future.

 

[question fear]

Yeah, this is a bit of a blow for NASA - but my first thought on this was Andromeda Strain.....

Hope that won't be sci-fi turned reality.....

D

that book scared the living crap out of me when i read it as a kid.

the movie, not as much.

but i couldnt sleep, literally, until i'd finished it.

 

[mj_1903]

Definitely sad. Many years of hard work vanished.

It sounds like it may have been the battery, the same type as in our PowerBook's.

 

[homerjward]

genesis crashed?! aw, that sucks. well, at least the helicopter pilot doesn't have to suffer the guilt of being the one who destroyed it.

 

[garybUK]

haha thats funny... all the talk of 'hollywood stunt men' there are more important things going on in the world IMO like what's gone on in Russia.

 

[iMeowbot]

I realize the probe didn't land very well, but this scene is still kind of disturbing. Given the payload they are trying to recover, this is a pretty casual sort of clean environment to use.

 

[iMeowbot]

Like a lot of folks on MR, I suspect, I just think space exploration is really neato. Hopefully, this will bolster the argument for greater NASA funding so they can do better (and safer) projects in the future.

It certainly bolsters the argument for handing the work to an organization that's held accountable for these kinds of screwups. If NASA can't be made into that organization (and it's looking more and more like that is the case), it should be someone else.

 

[wdlove]

My hope is that NASA will be able to retrieve some useful items and information from the wreckage. Remember the photo disk that survived after an explosion that was being filmed.

 

[cb911]

they did recover some of the samples they were collecting didn't they? or that's what i heard...

not the best that the 'chute didn't open though, apparently they really had a limited budget for Genesis?

it was kind funny that only stunt pilots would have done the 'catch' if all went to plan.

 

[wdlove]

they did recover some of the samples they were collecting didn't they? or that's what i heard...

not the best that the 'chute didn't open though, apparently they really had a limited budget for Genesis?

it was kind funny that only stunt pilots would have done the 'catch' if all went to plan.

I was also surprised by the fact they were using Hollywood stunt men in such an important task. Such a devastating loss. I hope that the recovered samples will prove to be of great value.

I wonder if they did all the wind tunnel testing on the parachute prior to launch. It proved invaluable on the tow Mars lander missions.

 

[emw]

I was also surprised by the fact they were using Hollywood stunt men in such an important task.

I wonder if they did all the wind tunnel testing on the parachute prior to launch. It proved invaluable on the tow Mars lander missions.

I can see using stunt men - this was a fairly complicated mid-air recovery operation, which requires the type of skills practiced by stunt pilots. Although I would think military pilots would have similar capabilities...