The Genesis Discovery Mission: Return of Solar Matter to Earth |
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Authors: | Burnett DS Barraclough BL Bennett R Neugebauer M Oldham LP Sasaki CN Sevilla D Smith N Stansbery E Sweetnam D Wiens RC |
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Institution: | (1) Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, USA;(2) National Laboratory, Space and Atmospheric Sciences, MS D466 Los Alamos;(3) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA , 91109, U.S.A;(4) Lockheed-Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO 80201, USA |
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Abstract: | The Genesis Discovery mission will return samples of solar matter for analysis of isotopic and elemental compositions in terrestrial
laboratories. This is accomplished by exposing ultra-pure materials to the solar wind at the L1 Lagrangian point and returning
the materials to Earth. Solar wind collection will continue until April 2004 with Earth return in Sept. 2004. The general
science objectives of Genesis are to (1) to obtain solar isotopic abundances to the level of precision required for the interpretation
of planetary science data, (2) to significantly improve knowledge of solar elemental abundances, (3) to measure the composition
of the different solar wind regimes, and (4) to provide a reservoir of solar matter to serve the needs of planetary science
in the 21st century. The Genesis flight system is a sun-pointed spinner, consisting of a spacecraft deck and a sample return
capsule (SRC). The SRC houses a canister which contains the collector materials. The lid of the SRC and a cover to the canister
were opened to begin solar wind collection on November 30, 2001. To obtain samples of O and N ions of higher fluence relative
to background levels in the target materials, an electrostatic mirror (‘concentrator’) is used which focuses the incoming
ions over a diameter of about 20 cm onto a 6 cm diameter set of target materials. Solar wind electron and ion monitors (electrostatic
analyzers) determine the solar wind regime present at the spacecraft and control the deployment of separate arrays of collector
materials to provide the independent regime samples.
This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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