[meteorite-list] NASA Announces Key Genesis Science Collectors in Excellent Shape

[Ron Baalke]

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


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