How do you turn a sample return tragedy into a triumph? We reflect on NASA's Genesis

mission, this week on Planetary Radio. I'm Sarah al-ahmett of the Planetary Society, with more

of the human adventure across our solar system and beyond.

The Genesis mission was NASA's first dedicated mission to capture and return samples of the solar

wind. But instead of a smooth landing, its capsule crashed in the Utah desert at over 300 kilometers

per hour. Against the odds, scientists managed to salvage the mission,

unlocking insights into the formation of our solar system that we're still piecing together 20 years

later. This week, we're joined by Amy Yurevich, Assistant Research Professor Emeritus at Arizona State

University and JPL Project Scientist for Genesis. She shares the challenges and

triumphs of space sample returns and what Genesis taught us about the Sun. And of course,

we'll check in with Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts as we look back at Solar Science

during the Apollo program. If you love planetary radio and want to stay informed about the latest

space discoveries, make sure you hit that subscribe button on your favorite

podcasting platform. By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode filled with new and

awe-inspiring ways to know the cosmos and our place within it. For centuries,

scientists have sought to unravel the mysteries of our Sun, how it formed,

how it impacts our solar system, and what secrets its chemistry might hold for the origins

of our planets.

In 2001, NASA launched Genesis, a mission designed to capture pristine particles of the solar

wind and return them to Earth for the first time since the Apollo program.

Genesis floated at the Earth Sun L1 Lagrange Point for two years,

spreading delicate collectors into the solar wind and gathering the material that was streaming from our star.

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