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Genesis Capsule Crashes!
Mundane
Elite Ranger
in Zocalo v2.0
Looks like the parachute didnt work :/
Comments
The Genesis Capsule Just Crashed! :(
Some of you may have heard about the parachute landing of a 400 pound capsule carrying solar dust collections. The intention was to capture the craft in the air after it deployed its parachute with tailhooks on two helicopters. A parachute landing would not have been soft enough to save the data it needed to be VERY gently let down.
Sadly the craft failed to deploy its shoot and it crashed at full speed into the ground in Utah west of Salt Lake City. All the disks with the various collections are probably shattered and the data that could have been collected is now a loss.
I’m writing this on a wi-fi connection – several hundred people were here watching the results live. The feeling around went from high energy and enthusiasm to extreme disappointment. There was a loud “Ohh No!” from the entire audience as it hit the ground leaving a sizable crater/splash area around the capsule.
I think it’s a sad day. This long mission could have provided more clues on the origins and makeup of the solar system and universe.
This was a United States of America NASA mission that many of us indirectly worked on or helped pay for – so I hope the pundits and loudmouths on this board will keep their celebrations to themselves. This is a sad day for all science.
Thats another few million down the tubes. And to think they could've put all that money to better use...like more funding for better shuttles.
"Go Go Gadget NET !"
Just hope that Stardust's capsule won't have this same fault.
[url]http://www.space.com/news/genesis_reaction_040908.html[/url]
[quote]One light-hearted quip from a scientist witnessing the Genesis crash landing: "It looks like we’ve already started the Genesis sample distribution process…not quite in the way that we had envisioned, but we’ll deal with it."[/quote]
LOL.:D
Seriously though it is a shame it crashed, alot of valuable information has been lost. Must have been gut wrenching for the research team.
[B]Maybe they should just use airbags... at least those have worked well in Mars probes.[/b][/quote]
The nature of the contents of the capsule (the discs that captured the material) is such that any shock would shatter them, even a parashute landing. Airbags would be far, far, far too hard.
[quote][b]Just hope that Stardust's capsule won't have this same fault.[/B][/QUOTE]
Startdust's capsule is designed to come in via parachute and be released above the surface, so it's capable of withstanding pretty hard shocks. If it has the same landing as Genesis suffered, it is likely the capsule and the contents would survive intact.
Just guessing, I'm not an expert on this by any means.
I'll take that $5 now!
;)
[B]I read that a battery had overheated shortly after Genesis was launched in 2001. That could be what caused the parachute charges not to detonate.
Just guessing, I'm not an expert on this by any means.
I'll take that $5 now!
;) [/B][/QUOTE]
Is that $5 US dollars or Canadian?
:p
[B]I read that a battery had overheated shortly after Genesis was launched in 2001. That could be what caused the parachute charges not to detonate.
Just guessing, I'm not an expert on this by any means.
I'll take that $5 now!
;) [/B][/QUOTE]
Link?
(btw, an overheating battery causing it not to function is [b]very[/b] plausable. I know this from experience working with cordless drills.)
I find this highly plausible, thanks to my rather extensive experience with firecrackers.
:D
Thats assuming it was smokless power, like say your airbag charges use. they could have also used something like a very small amount of RDX , which wouldnt worry about being wet.
I find it only somewhat plausible do to my experience with black power and smokless powder charges, nitroglyerince, dynamite, and what I know of from my fathers discussions on proper techniques for utilizing C4 and other plastiques... :D
JMO...
:D
it'll be interesting to see what caused the malfunction.
Probably another 5c O-ring..
[B]...discussions on proper techniques for utilizing C4 and other plastiques... :D [/B][/QUOTE]
C4 is RDX/Hexogen/Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. (91% of it, rest is plastic binder)
Actually these high-explosives require harder shock to ignite them. (while some others like nitroglycerin are "shake before use" explosives)
[B]I've read that the charges got wet, causing them not to detonate.
I find this highly plausible, thanks to my rather extensive experience with firecrackers.
:D [/B][/QUOTE]
Ha ha. ;)
[B]And I was making fun of yours AND verts post, hence the :D
:D [/B][/QUOTE]
:D
[B]C4 is RDX/Hexogen/Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. (91% of it, rest is plastic binder)
Actually these high-explosives require harder shock to ignite them. (while some others like nitroglycerin are "shake before use" explosives) [/B][/QUOTE]
I know that. But when doing actual demolitions work, you use C4 because the binder itself will stick, its moldable yadda yadda yadda. RDX is a white crystaline kinda stuff, so its best used in things like say bursting charges where you use it as a filler inside a some object that you plan to send pieces of it flying around.
But yes, an ignition charge is necessary to trigger their rapid decomoposition.
and as for nitroglycerine dont you mean "shake to use?" ;)
Anyway - I had read that the signal to deploy was never sent from the onboard computer.