What is the big deal with this stupid capsule falling out of the sky?

[Blue_Roses]

with no parachute. WHO CARES? You would think someone from the CNN staff was in it the way they are going on and on about it!

[Sparkle]

1. LOL!

[Worst Username Ever]

2. Nasa failures are always high profile

because it is such a controversial (expensive) organization to have around.

[SaveElmer]

6. Actually it isn't at all controverial

NASA funding receives high levels of support from the public.And as for it's funding, the Pentagon gets more money every week than NASA gets in an entire year. And with NASA, we get a very good return on investment.

As for the capsule, it was carrying particles it had collected from the solar wind for study. It is thought this could help illuminate how our solar system was formed. It was a relatively inexpensive mission which unfortunately ended in disaster. But, as with any leading edge science, there are gonna be risks, and we aren't going to win every one of them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. It is important if you are into science

and want to knwo about the origin of the solar system.

In a sense, evolution and all that the fanatics hate... otherwise it is a side story which they should have spent all of thrity seconds on

Now given that it may answer soem quesetions about evolution and the pilots had yet to miss catching something like this (and they used to do it on a regular basis with ahem, cameras from spy satelites, that raises the question why did they fail to catch it?)

No I am mot about to blame the bush anti science attitude, but ... what can I say

[Ready4Change]

8. Failed to catch it because there was no chute deployment.

Old spy satellite film capsules were also recovered after parachute deployment. I suspect a fair number had chute deployment failures, but it may be hard to find out due to their secret nature.

[Misunderestimator]

4. You mean aside from the enormous waste of taxpayer money?

[napi21]

5. Seemed to me that the point is lots of $$ and 3 years spent for

nothing! Whether you care about the results they might have gathered, it's a lot of $$, and people don't expect failure.

[SaveElmer]

9. The point is

That leading edge science is risky. Spaceflight (manned and unmanned) is risky. But for my money, it is well worth that risk.

People have been conditioned to expect success on everyone of these missions because NASA has had a fairly good track record of success. BUt the fact is, with every mission there are hundreds of things that can potentially go wrong. Every once in a while, one does.

[Indiana_Dem]

7. Maybe it's a coverup and it's actually an alien spaceship

that crashed while trying to make a secret landing! <just kidding>

But it sure looks like a flying saucer doesn't it? LOL

[Journeyman]

10. It proves the truth of our hopes and dreams. . .

for a missile defense system. They had one chance to bring it in safely and there it lies, a smoldering wreck, surrounded by well-meaning scientists and politicians scratching their heads and wondering when funding for the next phase will be approved. The media, meanwhile, stand by, transfixed and flush with excitement, much like those who go to Nascar races to see the crashes and don't care who wins. All that matters is the excitement and their strange, voyeuristic fetish. . .

[Blue_Roses]

13. LOL!

so true!
The media, meanwhile, stand by, transfixed and flush with excitement, much like those who go to Nascar races to see the crashes and don't care who wins. All that matters is the excitement and their strange, voyeuristic fetish.

[Caution]

11. The loss of the probe was a huge blow to science not a huge waste of money

[allemand]

12. 264 million dollars ? n/t