They wanted the device to be secret. Once it failed, there was no need for secrecy.

Perhaps like in 'Lord Of The Rings', don't think too hard about Gandalf and the Great Eagles.

Or that he sent a hobbit with the one ring into a mountain alone where one of the two thing that were capable of destroying the ring happened to be located.

Gandalf sent Bilbo on a suicide mission into the lonely mountain to get burnt by a dragon to melt the ring avoiding the war of men and orcs entirely.

Except it's only after escaping from the Misty Mountains that Gandalf can have any idea that Bilbo possesses such a ring, but I don't remember him modifying the plan in response to that knowledge. Meaning that if it was a suicide mission, it was set up that way all along, so rather than this being Gandalf the realpolitik puppetmaster it's Gandalf the Rollercoaster Tycoon player, erecting a lengthy and complex scheme just for the joy of watching the ensuing catastrophe.

Is there a Godwin’s Law for discussions eventually leading to LotR topics?

Éowyn's Law

Helicopters don't do great at high altitudes like that. Honestly I'm a little surprised that they even attempted to recover the second SNAP with a helicopter.

Helicopter landing has since then happened even on the summit of Mount Everest.