Design Flaw Blamed for Space Probe’s ’04 Crash
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A report released Tuesday blamed a design flaw for the 2004 crash of a NASA space probe carrying solar wind atoms back to Earth and criticized engineers for failing to detect the error.
The 231-page document prepared by independent investigators confirmed initial findings released several weeks after the crash. The final report found that gravity switches on the Genesis probe designed to trigger the deployment of its parachutes were installed backward. Genesis’ chutes never opened, and it slammed into the Utah desert.
The craft was built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
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