Genesis
Bringing Solar Wind Back to Earth
Genesis collected atoms from the solar wind near the Sun-Earth L1 region and returned them to Earth so laboratories could directly measure solar material.
Object type
Solar-wind sample return
Region
Sun-Earth L1
Known for
Returned solar-wind samples
TransitSatellite connection
Genesis connects solar-wind science, Sun-Earth interaction, sample return, and laboratory analysis of solar material.
Objective
Collect material flowing from the Sun
Genesis exposed specialized collector arrays to different solar-wind regimes so scientists could compare the isotopic and elemental composition of the solar wind with planetary materials.
Mission design
A sample-return mission at L1
Operating around the Sun-Earth L1 region gave Genesis long access to the solar wind. Its collectors were folded into a return capsule for the trip back to Earth.
Result
Samples survived a hard landing
The return capsule's parachute did not deploy correctly, but scientists recovered collector material from the Utah landing site and continued extracting useful solar-wind science.
TransitSatellite connections
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