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The astronomical NASA day photo has been operational for years, but something weird has recently appeared in the stream. A photo titled "The Flying Saucer Crash in the Utah Desert" has been posted on the Internet. Is look a bit like the traditional UFO flying saucer. There are no aliens on the crushed saucer, however. The authors of the APOD are just insolent.
The "flying saucer" on this photo is actually the Genesis mission sample return module. It was shaped like a saucer, and it certainly flew through the air before crashing into the desert of Utah (falling is a kind of flight, according to some definitions). Thus, the title is technically accurate but written in such a way as to make you suspicious.
Genesis launched in 2001 to study the solar wind. Many particles triggered by the sun are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, which is good for humans. It's not good if you want to study the solar wind. Genesis was transferred from the Earth's orbit to a "Lissajous orbit" around the Lagrangian point of L2. Part of the mission was to capture the particles from the solar wind and bring them back to Earth in the saucer-shaped sample container.
NASA did not expect the Genesis container to affect the Utah desert in 2004, but it crashed dramatically due to a failed parachute. The 600-pound (272-kilogram) module was supposed to float slowly enough for a helicopter to escape and tear it off the sky. NASA later determined that a deceleration sensor design defect prevented the deployment of the parachutes.
NASA has practiced in-flight recovery several times, but all of this has been useless.
The agency sent a team of helicopters following the container and a member of 388 Squadron of the US Air Force took a picture of the "flying saucer" before it was removed. The crew had to wait for technicians to deactivate pyrotechnic parachute charges without fire before they could move in.
This flying saucer story ends well too. Several samples of solar winds survived the impact in good condition. NASA still has some useful data and we all could see a picture of this beautiful flying saucer fall in the desert. The Genesis mission helped scientists determine the composition of the sun and the distribution of elements varies from one solar system to another.
Now read: NASA will use the ISS supercomputer for its scientific experiments, Lockheed wants to build a lunar launcher for NASA Gateway Station and NASA switches the Curiosity mobile on a backup computer
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