APOD: Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert (2022 Nov 13)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
Post Reply
User avatar
APOD Robot
Otto Posterman
Posts: 5345
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:27 am
Contact:

APOD: Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert (2022 Nov 13)

Post by APOD Robot » Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:07 am

Image Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert

Explanation: A flying saucer from outer space crash-landed in the Utah desert after being tracked by radar and chased by helicopters. The year was 2004, and no space aliens were involved. The saucer, pictured here, was the Genesis sample return capsule, part of a human-made robot Genesis spaceship launched in 2001 by NASA itself to study the Sun. The unexpectedly hard landing at over 300 kilometers per hour occurred because the parachutes did not open as planned. The Genesis mission had been orbiting the Sun collecting solar wind particles that are usually deflected away by Earth's magnetic field. Despite the crash landing, many return samples remained in good enough condition to analyze. So far, Genesis-related discoveries include new details about the composition of the Sun and how the abundance of some types of elements differ across the Solar System. These results have provided intriguing clues into details of how the Sun and planets formed billions of years ago.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: APOD: Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert (2022 Nov 13)

Post by orin stepanek » Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:31 pm

GenesisImpact_nasa_960.jpg
The little space capsule too tough to die! :D
cat-scared.jpg
Did kitty see it land?
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

smitty
Science Officer
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:57 am

Re: APOD: Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert (2022 Nov 13)

Post by smitty » Mon Nov 14, 2022 3:57 pm

The needlessly sensational and misleading title of this APOD is unwelcome. It's not April Fools Day.

Brokas

Re: APOD: Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert (2022 Nov 13)

Post by Brokas » Fri Nov 18, 2022 12:01 pm

Aerobraking failed, so they used litobraking. :D

User avatar
johnnydeep
Commodore
Posts: 2781
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:57 pm

Re: APOD: Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert (2022 Nov 13)

Post by johnnydeep » Fri Nov 18, 2022 1:20 pm

Brokas wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 12:01 pm Aerobraking failed, so they used litobraking. :D
Ha! Or maybe "arenabraking". Yes, Latin for sand is arena! Or perhaps "ammobraking" in the spirit of the Greek "litho" and "aero".
--
"To B̬̻̋̚o̞̮̚̚l̘̲̀᷾d̫͓᷅ͩḷ̯᷁ͮȳ͙᷊͠ Go......Beyond The F͇̤i̙̖e̤̟l̡͓d͈̹s̙͚ We Know."{ʲₒʰₙNYᵈₑᵉₚ}

Post Reply