Most scientists believe that the solar system was formed when a cloud of gas and dust from previous generations of stars collapsed some 4-1/2 billion years ago, forming the Sun, planets, comets and asteroids. Exactly how that transformation took place both intrigues and mystifies scientists.
The Genesis mission will provide more clues with its collected samples of the solar wind, material flowing outward from the Sun. Comparing them with known compositions of the planets will help in the effort to understand our cosmic origins.
Following launch August 8, 2001, the Genesis spacecraft headed toward an orbit around L1, a point between Earth and the Sun where the gravity of both bodies is balanced. Genesis unfurled its collector arrays and collected particles of the solar wind that embedded themselves in specially designed high purity wafers. In 2004, Genesis returned the samples to Earth. Although the sample return capsule's parachutes did not deploy, the capsule was recovered. Scientists expect to be able to achieve most of their science objectives with the samples obtained from the capsule.
Genesis was competitively selected under NASA's Discovery Program which sponsors low-cost missions with highly focused science goals. Managed by JPL, the project is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Donald Burnett of the California Institute of Technology. Lockheed Martin Astronautics designed and built the spacecraft.
Mass: 494-kilogram (1,089-pounds)
Science instruments: Solar wind collector arrays, ion monitors, ion concentrator
Purpose: Collect solar wind samples for return to Earth
Launch: August 8, 2001
Sample Capsule Return to Earth: September 8, 2004
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