Genesis crashes and we protect Earth on planetary radio. Radio.

Hello again everyone and welcome back to Public Radio's weekly voyage through the solar system and beyond. I'm Matt Kaplan.

Exploring the universe is hard.

Sometimes things go wrong.

Regular listeners to this show probably know something went very wrong

in the Utah desert a few days ago. In a couple of minutes you'll hear my

conversation with Roger Weens, a Genesis Mission team member who was out there hoping

for a gentler return of the Genesis sample capsule.

We'll also talk with Ecologist Margaret Race about this accident

and how scientists and engineers work to protect our own

and other planets.

First though, here are some other stories from around the universe.

A British member of the Cassini team has spotted a new moon and a new ring in images returned

by the spacecraft from Saturn.

Carl Murray of Queen Mary College in London says he was just lucky enough to see them first.

Cassini remains in excellent health as it circles the beautiful gas giant.

Proof that there was once water on the surface of Mars is now old news,

but the level of that long-gone water seems to be rising.

There probably wasn't just a puddle or a lake but a vast

ocean on the Meridiani planum where rover opportunity has been exploring. More than enough water

scientists believe for the support of long

ago life on the red planet. And with all the votes now counted we can confidently

...