This is kind of sad news. Everything went according to plan until the parachute failed to open and the probe crashed to earth at over 100mph.
DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, UTAH -- A NASA spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the Utah desert this morning, putting a disastrous end to a years-long mission to bring back samples of the Sun.
The probe was supposed to deploy a parachute and be snagged by a helicopter for safe recovery.
The capsule, carrying tiny particles from the solar wind that scientists were eager to study for the first time, was half buried in the sandy surface and "appeared to be intact," said a NASA mission controller.
Closer inspection showed the flying-saucer-shaped ship had cracked in two, however.
Sad news, yes, but I'd say this was kind of doomed by default...Catching it in mid-air sounds like a pretty stupid idea...But at least they did not fail doing that
Either way, I hope they are able to recover enough sample from the sun to do the research they needed. It may all be destroyed, but further investigation might show otherwise...
Scientists salvage critical parts from Genesis capsule wreckage
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — NASA scientists said Friday they have recovered some critical pieces of the Genesis space capsule intact and are optimistic the wreckage will yield valuable information about the origins of the solar system.
