Spacecraft retrieval via helicopter ?

Kirk Gunn · 09-08-2004, 10:36 AM

http://www.space.com/news/genesis_archive_0409.html

This seems a risky techique for such a priceless cargo... surely there were other alternatives ?

Seth--L · 09-08-2004, 10:58 AM

It's not that risky. The air force used to retrieve film from spy satellites in much the same way during the '60s, only they used C-119s instead of helicopters. To prove that capturing the film this way wouldn't damage it, they tested the procedure by hooking people!

http://www.space.com/news/spacehisto...ty_000926.html

Kirk Gunn · 09-08-2004, 11:18 AM

Thanks for the link ! Unfortunately it's a moot point...

DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, UTAH -- A NASA spacecraft carrying bits of the Sun crashed into the Utah desert this morning, putting a disastrous ending to a long mission to bring back samples from the Sun.

Sean Bryan · 09-08-2004, 11:19 AM

Looks like they screwed it up, and the capsule crashed before the helicopters could snag it.

Opps!

Edit: Kirk beat me to it!

Francois Caron · 09-08-2004, 11:33 AM

More info...

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/nation...sis040908.html

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Ron-P · 09-08-2004, 11:34 AM

parachute apparently did not open.

Malcolm R · 09-08-2004, 12:04 PM

Another NASA triumph!

What a waste of money ($260 Million to be exact plus whatever they now spend studying what went wrong).

They should just burn a pile of cash on the launch pad. It would be a lot faster and accomplish the same thing.

Seth--L · 09-08-2004, 12:39 PM

Malcolm,

Perhaps you could come up with better way to collect solar dust particles and bring them back to earth.

Malcolm R · 09-08-2004, 01:19 PM

I can't think of any reason we need to collect solar dust particles in the first place.

Win Joy Jr · 09-08-2004, 01:34 PM

Quote:

I can't think of any reason we need to collect solar dust particles in the first place.

Well, to understand more about our universe, for starters...