Sample Of Solar Wind Sent To Scientists

STELLAR CHEMISTRY

Scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston have shipped a piece of the Genesis polished aluminum collector, pictured prior to shipment, to researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, marking the first distribution of a Genesis scientific sample from JSC since the science canister arrived there Oct. 4, 2004. The sample, the first to be allocated for Genesis early science analysis, may hold important evidence about the overall composition of the sun. Several important Genesis science objectives will be investigated as part of the Early Science Return, including studies of noble gas isotopes in bulk solar wind and nitrogen isotopes. Curators of the solar wind samples at JSC sent the sample to Genesis science team investigators and Washington University faculty members Charles Hohenberg and Alex Meshik. During the mission, the collector arrays on the Genesis spacecraft were exposed to the solar wind for 29 months.

Houston TX, (SPX) Jan 27, 2005
NASA scientists have sent to academic researchers an unprecedented piece of the sun gathered by the Genesis spacecraft, enabling the start of studies to achieve the mission's initial science objectives.

Scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston recently shipped a piece of the Genesis polished aluminum collector to researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. The shipment marked the first distribution of a Genesis scientific sample from JSC since the science canister arrived on Oct. 4, 2004. Preliminary examination of the sample by researchers has confirmed it contains solar ions, traces of the solar wind.

"Reaching this point in our work and being able to send out this first Genesis scientific sample marks a milestone in recovery efforts, following the spacecraft mishap upon re-entry last September," said Dr. Eileen Stansbery, Deputy Director of JSC's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate.

"The team has done an outstanding job of curating these precious samples, performing preliminary exams, investigating numerous techniques to reduce or eliminate contamination that occurred upon impact, and preparing the samples for distribution to researchers," she noted.

Washington University researchers Charles Hohenberg and Alex Meshik will study the sample to try to determine detailed information about the gases that make up the sun.

Although most of the solar wind is comprised of hydrogen, Genesis' goal was to capture samples of all elements in the periodic table to allow a detailed study of the sun's composition. The aluminum collector was designed to capture solar wind samples that can be used to measure the amounts of neon, argon, krypton and xenon, called the noble gases, the sun contains.

"Gaining a better understanding of the noble gas elements in the sun is one of the 19 specific scientific measurement objectives originally proposed for the Genesis mission," said Stansbery. "We are delighted to provide this sample to our Washington University colleagues.

"We look forward to the results of the research they are already conducting in this critical area, and we are increasingly optimistic that even more science data will be obtained from Genesis samples in the coming months," she added

The Washington University study is the first of two scientific objectives that make up the initial research program planned for Genesis. The other early science objective involves studies of nitrogen from samples.

Genesis clean-room activities are now focused on preparing the second early science sample, the gold foil, for distribution in the next few weeks to researchers at the University of Minnesota. The gold foil collected bulk solar wind and will be used to study nitrogen isotopes.

Genesis was launched Aug. 8, 2001, from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a mission to collect solar wind particles. The science phase of the mission was completed on April 1, 2004, following the collection of samples that began on Dec. 5, 2001. Following an extensive recovery effort since its Sept. 8 impact at a Utah landing site, the first scientific samples from the Genesis space probe arrived at JSC on Oct. 4, 2004.

SOLAR SCIENCE

NASA's Genesis Mishap Board & Researchers Both Report Progress

Pasadena CA (SPX) Oct 15, 2004
As scientists begin to unpack more than 3,000 containers of samples of the sun brought to Earth by NASA's Genesis mission, the Mishap Investigation Board (MIB) has identified a likely direct cause of the failure of Genesis' parachute system to open.

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