Fuddland

Remember the Genesis probe that was sent out to catch some solar particles? You know the one: on re-entry it was supposed to be caught in mid-air by Hollywood stunt pilots, but they failed to catch it because the probe’s parachutes, designed to slow down its descent, didn’t deploy.

It transpires that the reason the parachutes didn’t deploy was [wait for it] because “‘a design error that involves the orientation’ of the switches meant the sequence failed”. At least, that’s what NASA’s official report says. The New York Times puts it a little more succinctly:

[F]our switches that were to deploy the capsule’s parachutes were installed upside down.

Two-hundred and sixty-four million dollars. Oops.

The following is an entry which follows on from the above:

1. More great posts [ChasingDaisy]. Excerpt: Oops Genes Blue Sky Thinking Chin up! Sorry Everybody

#1

Daisy | 2004 / 11 / 05 – 18:25

*grinning from ear to ear*

#2

anan | 2004 / 11 / 05 – 22:29

i hate it when that happens.

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