NASA Fails Again
Yet another failure for a struggling NASA, whose scientists watched their 3 year, $264 million mission plunge from outer-space into the Utah desert. Yesterday, the Genesis project’s capsule was suppose to fall from space, deploy parachutes, and be snagged on giant hooks attached to stunt helicopters. But something malfunctioned on the craft, causing all primary and backup chutes not to deploy. With nothing to slow it down, the 420 pound craft plunged into the desert sand at more than 190 mph.
The Genesis project spent the last 3 years in space collecting samples of solar wind from the sun. The samples were expected to weigh less than 20 micrograms, equivalent of a couple grains of sand. NASA scientists are still hopeful that they can salvage some samples from the capsule, but with a crack in both the outer shell and inner sample canister, it looks unlikely. The wafers that held the micrograms of solar particles most likely shattered on impact and were exposed to dust particles from the Earth.
I am a big fan of space exploration and science in general, but something obviously needs to change inside NASA to make it more successful. Perhaps more privatization of the projects to private industry? Maybe NASA should just give out grants and become a clearing house from other scientist’s work? What do you think?
Articles about the failed mission and the recovery process are available here:
http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,64880,00.html
http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,64894,00.html
