Genesis crash blamed on design, flawed reviews

NASA’s Genesis capsule crashed into the desert floor in 2004 because parachute-deploying sensors were installed backwards and the error went undetected because of lapses in quality control. The final mishap report came out today.

Scientists managed to salvage some of the solar wind samples collected by the probe during its journey through space, but NASA’s investigation into the Sept. 8, 2004, found management problems worth addressing for future science programs.

The problems identified in today's report include:

A bad design that inverted sensors that were supposed to deploy the parachute at a set time after atmospheric re-entry.

Engineering and safety reviews failed to detect the problem with the design before flight.

Consequently, the parachute did not deploy, the saucer-shaped craft slammed into the desert floor at high speed and cracked open. The report said mistakes were made by both NASA management and contractor Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

The investigators also faulted the “Faster, Better, Cheaper” management philosophy initiated by former NASA chief Dan Goldin. That philosophy, in place at the time the project began, encouraged saving money by taking more risks.

On the positive side, the investigators said that despite the problems, enough solar material was saved that “it appears highly likely to the board that due to the dedicated efforts of the Genesis recovery and curation teams and the nature of the sample collection materials, most of the Genesis science goals will be met."