Genesis Spacecraft
Bus Flies Solo
While NASA scientists continue to examine the Genesis
sample return capsule at NASA's Johnson Space Center,
the spacecraft itself continues on its flight. After
releasing the sample return capsule on Sept. 8,
2004, the spacecraft bus now heads back toward the
vicinity of the Earth-Sun Lagrange Point (L1), a
point just under 1 million miles away from Earth
toward the Sun, where gravitational and centrifugal
forces acting on the spacecraft are balanced. All
of the spacecraft systems are operational including
the solar wind monitors (although currently turned
off). On its current trajectory, the spacecraft
will leave L1 in February 2005, entering an orbit
around the Sun. Since this orbit is just inside
the Earth's orbit, Genesis will gradually pull ahead
of the Earth, steadily increasing its distance from
Earth in the coming years. NASA is currently considering
an extended mission, which would keep the spacecraft
in the Earth-Moon system for the next several years.
The Genesis spacecraft completed a trajectory correction
maneuver (TCM) on Nov. 6, as the spacecraft made
its closest approach by our planet since the release
of the sample return capsule. This TCM ensured that
the bus could escape from the Earth and Moon system
if an extended mission is not approved. |
