Jacques van Oene
April 21st 05, 09:27 AM
Dolores Beasley
Headquarters, Washington April 20, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1753)
William Jeffs
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)
Nancy Ambrosiano
Los Alamos National Laboratory, N.M.
(Phone: 505/667-0471)
RELEASE: 05-102
NASA ANNOUNCES KEY GENESIS SCIENCE COLLECTORS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE
Scientists have closely examined four Genesis spacecraft collectors,
vital to the mission's top science objective, and found them in excellent
shape, despite the spacecraft's hard landing last year.
Scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston removed the four
solar-wind collectors from an instrument called the concentrator. The
concentrator targets collected solar-oxygen ions during the Genesis mission.
Scientists will analyze them to measure solar-oxygen isotopic composition,
the highest-priority measurement objective for Genesis. The data may hold
clues to increase understanding about how the solar system formed.
"Taking these concentrator targets out of their flight holders and getting
our first visual inspection of them is very important," said Karen McNamara,
Genesis curation recovery lead. "This step is critical to moving forward
with the primary science Genesis was intended to achieve. All indications
are the targets are in excellent condition. Now we will have the opportunity
to show that quantitatively. The preliminary assessment of these materials
is the first step to their allocation and measurement of the composition of
the solar wind," she said.
The targets were removed at JSC by a team from Los Alamos National
Laboratory, Los Alamos, N.M., where the concentrator was designed and built.
"Finding these concentrator targets in excellent condition after the Genesis
crash was a real miracle," said Roger Wiens, principal investigator for the
Los Alamos instruments. "It raised our spirits a huge amount the day after
the impact. With the removal of the concentrator targets this week, we are
getting closer to learning what these targets will tell us about the sun and
our solar system," he added.
The Los Alamos team was assisted by JSC curators and Quality Assurance
personnel from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Curators
at JSC will examine the targets and prepare a detailed report about their
condition, so scientists can properly analyze the collectors. The targets
will be imaged in detail and then stored under nitrogen in the Genesis clean
room.
Genesis was launched Aug. 8, 2001, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Fla., on a mission to collect solar wind particles. Sample collection began
Dec. 5, 2001, and was completed April 1, 2004. After an extensive recovery
effort, following its Sept. 8, 2004, impact at a Utah landing site, the
first scientific samples from Genesis arrived at JSC
Oct. 4, 2004.
Still imagery of scientists removing the concentrator targets is available
at:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/genesis/multimedia/gen_team_images.html
Video to accompany this release will air on the NASA TV Video File at 3 p.m.
EDT today.
NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the continental U.S. on
AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 degrees west longitude. The frequency
is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.
It's available in Alaska and Hawaii on AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C-Band, at
137 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is
vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.
For more information about the Genesis mission on the Web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/genesis
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Headquarters, Washington April 20, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1753)
William Jeffs
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)
Nancy Ambrosiano
Los Alamos National Laboratory, N.M.
(Phone: 505/667-0471)
RELEASE: 05-102
NASA ANNOUNCES KEY GENESIS SCIENCE COLLECTORS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE
Scientists have closely examined four Genesis spacecraft collectors,
vital to the mission's top science objective, and found them in excellent
shape, despite the spacecraft's hard landing last year.
Scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston removed the four
solar-wind collectors from an instrument called the concentrator. The
concentrator targets collected solar-oxygen ions during the Genesis mission.
Scientists will analyze them to measure solar-oxygen isotopic composition,
the highest-priority measurement objective for Genesis. The data may hold
clues to increase understanding about how the solar system formed.
"Taking these concentrator targets out of their flight holders and getting
our first visual inspection of them is very important," said Karen McNamara,
Genesis curation recovery lead. "This step is critical to moving forward
with the primary science Genesis was intended to achieve. All indications
are the targets are in excellent condition. Now we will have the opportunity
to show that quantitatively. The preliminary assessment of these materials
is the first step to their allocation and measurement of the composition of
the solar wind," she said.
The targets were removed at JSC by a team from Los Alamos National
Laboratory, Los Alamos, N.M., where the concentrator was designed and built.
"Finding these concentrator targets in excellent condition after the Genesis
crash was a real miracle," said Roger Wiens, principal investigator for the
Los Alamos instruments. "It raised our spirits a huge amount the day after
the impact. With the removal of the concentrator targets this week, we are
getting closer to learning what these targets will tell us about the sun and
our solar system," he added.
The Los Alamos team was assisted by JSC curators and Quality Assurance
personnel from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Curators
at JSC will examine the targets and prepare a detailed report about their
condition, so scientists can properly analyze the collectors. The targets
will be imaged in detail and then stored under nitrogen in the Genesis clean
room.
Genesis was launched Aug. 8, 2001, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Fla., on a mission to collect solar wind particles. Sample collection began
Dec. 5, 2001, and was completed April 1, 2004. After an extensive recovery
effort, following its Sept. 8, 2004, impact at a Utah landing site, the
first scientific samples from Genesis arrived at JSC
Oct. 4, 2004.
Still imagery of scientists removing the concentrator targets is available
at:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/genesis/multimedia/gen_team_images.html
Video to accompany this release will air on the NASA TV Video File at 3 p.m.
EDT today.
NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the continental U.S. on
AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 degrees west longitude. The frequency
is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.
It's available in Alaska and Hawaii on AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C-Band, at
137 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is
vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.
For more information about the Genesis mission on the Web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/genesis
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info