Genesis spacecraft just SMACKED into the ground!!

[Cannikin]

Genesis spacecraft down in Utah desert, chutes failed to open. Details soon.

Broke open on impact....left crater.


Saw it live...everyone is very confused. Chutes never opened. Unclear if any of the Silica waffers can be salvaged.

[SaveElmer]

1. That's too bad

Darn...it was an interesting mission. What happened ?

[Ready4Change]

6. Chute never deployed.

Video on CNN shows capsule half buried in desert. Struck edge on.

It looks cracked up, but not scattered. Wonder how secure their containment is?

[Connie_Corleone]

2. Damn!

All that stuff they collected is probably useless now.

[PATRICK]

3. What about the stuntmen

who were supposed to snag it in midair?

[JHB]

9. If the chute never opened...

...no helicopter would be able to snag it.

[SaveElmer]

10. That was predicated on the Chutes opening

Which they obviously didn't

[PATRICK]

18. Oh, I was picturing skydivers

with butterfly nets.

[underpants]

4. All right then it is back to work at Fear Factor for the copter guys

You want me to do WHAT?

[tridim]

5. Another Bush era space failure

The Bush administration's bad karma just keeps on coming.

[Connie_Corleone]

8. Nothing but bad luck since Bush has been in office.

[SaveElmer]

12. Well that is a stretch

Spirit, Opportunity and Cassini have all been successes. Course Cassini was launched pre-Bush...but I don't think the others were.

[seabeyond]

7. broke open

yup. would have been interesting. bummer

[MissMarple]

13. Uh oh, you know what that means.

Alien invasion.

[Connie_Corleone]

15. Wood and water will kill them.

[Ready4Change]

16. I'll be the first to say it...

Anyone seen "The Andromeda Strain?"

I'm kidding, as I sincerely doubt any thing like that is likely.

However, I'm wondering what, if any, plans NASA had in advance for this occurance?

[annabanana]

11. Why does this remind me of the "missle defense shield"

oh yeah....there was only one chance to get it right....and we blew it.

[G_j]

14. a shame

and the rare instance when science wasn't being funded to develop another weapon. :-(

[GiovanniC]

17. Obviously You Didn't Know About the Secret

Genesis-Solar-Wind-Particle-Powered Death Ray.

Oh, they'll deny it. But the truth is out there.

[Xenus Sister]

19. I was watching live on MSNBC, what a blow!

Now I'm watching live on NASA channel and they're showing better pictures. It's 3/4 buried into the ground!

I feel so sorry for the scientists.

[Dudley_DUright]

20. Probably a total scientific loss

:-(

[skippythwndrdog]

21. Any links yet? n/t