[extropy-chat] Sample Return Missions (was: A Strombolian Holiday Tree)

[Amara Graps]

Spike:
>Amara, how did that experiment come out, the one that was to
>collect space dust, but the parachute failed and it smacked into
>the desert floor?  Was any of that data salvageable?

Dear Spike:

You're mixing up your sample return missions.

Genesis --> solar 'particles'
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/genesis/spacecraft/return-to-earth.
html
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/index.html

is the mission where the capsule's parachute failed to open
during descent due to design error in the switches and the
capsule crashed in the Utah desert. See Sky and Telescope pg. 28,
January 2005 for a picture of the broken shards. The pieces are
being analyzed at Johnson Space Flight Center, and I hear that
some are useable.


Stardust --> dust particles
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/top.html

The dust from comet Wild2 are in the capsule scheduled to return
to Earth January 15, 2006. The rest of the data from Comet Wild 2
was sent back to Earth about one year ago and is really quite
unbelieavable, and people are still trying to understand it.  And
yes, in light of Genesis' accident, the sample return to Earth
part of the Stardust mission is being scrutinized again.  

Amara