http://www.nasa.gov/missions/current/index.html
Include:
- Mission Summary
- Science Goals
- Current Mission Status
- Mission Orbit and fuel use strategy
- History and Background
- Mission and Spacecraft Characteristics
Due on Thursday, February 21st at midnight.
Hubble Space Telescope
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteinternational space station
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity)
ReplyDeleteThe Solar & Heliospheric Observatory project (SOHO)
ReplyDeleteArtemis.
ReplyDeleteSOHO was made to study the inside of the sun, its outer atmosphere and the origin of the solar wind, the stream of highly ionized gas that blows continuously outward through the Solar System.
ReplyDeleteSOHO was launched on December 2, 1995. The SOHO was built in Europe Matra. NASA was responsible for the launch and is now responsible for mission operations. Large radio dishes around the world are used to track the spacecraft beyond the Earth's orbit.
Earth-directed CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they connect with the outside of the magnetosphere.In the past, CMEs at this strength have had little effect. They may cause auroras near the poles but are unlikely to disrupt electrical systems on Earth or interfere with GPS.
On Feb. 9, 2013 at 2:30 a.m. EST, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection , associated with a long duration C2.4-class flare. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and ESA/NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 500 miles per second, which is a fairly typical speed for CMEs. Historically, CMEs at this speed are usually benign. A CME is a solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and reaches Earth one to three days later.
Sofia
ReplyDeleteOcean Surface Topography Mission/Jason 2
ReplyDeleteThe first complete maps of global ocean surface topography has been completed within a month of the launch of Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM) or Jason 2. There is also record of surface wave height and wind speed of the world’s oceans. These maps will help scientist with the temperature changes in the oceans and monitor the global sea levels. This also helps with the watching of the oceans circulation and makes it easier and more accurate for the forecasting of weather. By tracking the patterns of sea levels, they will be able to determine the speed and direction of which the ocean surface currents move in. This mission is now exceeding a 16 year time period. They have recorded worldwide measurements of the global sea level since 1992. Jason 1, the satellite sent before Jason 2 is in the same orbit. They are spaced about 55 seconds apart, and they are making almost the same measurements. This is allowing scientists to precisely calibrate the data. The new maps were generated from 10 days’ worth of data collected by Jason 2. Jason 2 is in international control, it is shared between NASA and CNES. “CNES and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are responsible for satellite operations, while JPL is managing the mission for NASA. Data processing is being carried out by CNES, the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and NOAA, depending on the type of product.” (1)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ostm/news/ostm-20080730.html
Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)
ReplyDeleteI chose the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM). This international satellite mission is going to set a new standard for precipitation measurements from space! Thus providing observations of rain and snow worldwide every three hours. The GPM mission data goal is to enhance the scientist's knowledge on the water and energy cycles and extend the use of precipitation data to directly benefit society. On Jan. 16, 2013, the 12 days of testing on Thermal Vacuums was officially over. The testing went great, they resolved many things including minor anomalies. There is not much history on thermal vacuum testing because its a new testing. The mission status for the spacecraft is stationed due to testing. It will be undergoing more testing to give the best and most accurate readings from space. Because its going through testing there isn't an orbit strategy yet but they do know that they want the spacecraft to pick up precipitation measurements better and even more.
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ReplyDeleteJuno
ReplyDeleteNASA's mission Aqua is a large amount of information being obtained about water in the earth system. It measures almost all elements of the water cycle and involve water in its liquid, solid, and vapor forms. Aqua's goals is to find integrated understanding of the earth system at present, an improved understanding of the prominent changes the system had undergone in the past, and improved predictions regarding how the system is likely to change in the future. Its current mission status builds on NASA's long history of studying the earth and its atmosphere from the impressive perspective of space.
ReplyDeleteAqua will make measurements of the earth at the same time, all the time.
During its six-year mission in space, Aqua watches for changes in ocean circulation and looks for clues to how clouds and surface water processes affect our climate. It is the second major component of the Earth Observing System. Aqua was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on May 4, 2002, aboard a Delta II rocket.
It flies leading the satellite formation called the "A-Train" with several other satellites. Aqua carries six instruments for studies of water on the Earth's surface and in the atmosphere: AMSR-E, MODIS, AMSU-A, AIRS, HSB, CERES. The Aqua spacecraft has a mass of about 2,850 kilograms, plus propellant of about 230 kilograms.
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ReplyDeleteThe Advance Composition Explorer (ACE) is an exploration mission directed by the Office of Space Science Mission and Payload Development Division of NASA. Its adventure began when it left the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The main mission of ACE was to calculate the composition of several samples of matter, such as solar corona, solar wind, galactic matter, interplanetary particle populations, and ISM or interstellar medium. Since July 2001 to control ACE three maneuvers have been used. These include attitude, orbit, spin. This will keep 154lbm of fuel left by 2024 comes around. The idea came about on June 19, 1983 at the University of Maryland. After many proposals to NASA the mission began April 22, 1991. The spacecraft is 1.6 meters and 1 meter high not including the four solar arrays and the magnetometer booms held together by two solar panels. At the time of launch it weighed 785 kilograms that includes 189 kilograms of hydrazine fuel. The solar arrays produce approximately 500 watts of power. ACE spacecraft traveled to the Earth-sun libration point (L1). Now ACE pretty much stays in the same spot in respect as it revolves around our sun.
ReplyDeleteOperation Ice Bridge
ReplyDeleteHurricanes
ReplyDeleteVoyager
ReplyDeleteThe probes, called Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS), began their journey over a year and a half ago. Two space crafts were previously in an area called the Lagrangian points, or points on either side of the moon where the moon and Earth's gravity balance perfectly. This location was an ideal spot to study magnetism and how the solar wind – made up of ionized gas known as plasma -- flows past the moon and tries to fill in the vacuum on the other side. The probes orbit the moon’s surface at approximately less than one hundred miles once per orbit. The data will provide scientists with new information about the moon’s internal structure for the next 7-10 years. The findings from the mission may help protect commercial satellites and humans in space from the adverse effects of particle radiation.
ReplyDeleteThe ARTEMIS mission was made possible by repurposing two spacecraft that would otherwise have ceased operations in 2010. The spacecraft were part of NASA’s Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission launched in 2007. The mission consisted of five identical spacecraft that studied magnetic environment around Earth, the aurora, and how these are affected by the sun.
"From their new orbits about the moon, ARTEMIS will collect important data about the moon's core, its surface composition, and whether it contains pockets of magnetism," said Dave Sibeck, ARTEMIS and THEMIS project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “ARTEMIS will also provide information needed to understand the moon’s environment in space.”
Dawn
ReplyDeleteSwift
ReplyDeleteThe radar on NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite had observed Tropical Cyclone Evan four times as of Sunday, December 16, and two of those over flights merit a closer examination. On Tuesday, December 11, the TRIMM satellite saw Evan about 24 hours before the storm struck American Samoa, and the radar data at first seem incongruous for such a weak system. At the time, Evan was estimated to be less than tropical “cyclone” strength, and had 40.2 MPH surface winds, making it a tropical storm. To be more specific, the TRIMM radar saw a “complete eye wall.” Either the TRIMM radar was showing that Evan was much stronger than 40.2 MPH on December 11 or perhaps Evan was a member of a rare breed of 35-knot systems with well-formed eye walls that are known to rapidly intensify. After the South Pacific tropical cyclone season is over, researchers and operational agencies alike should take a closer look at Evan on December 11. The infrared cloud top imagery collected by the TRMM satellite isn't much help on this question. The infrared instrument finds the eye wall obscured by upper-level outflow. On Friday, December 14, NASA's TRMM satellite saw Evan after it had hovered near Samoa for about a day. At the time of the Dec. 14 over flight, Evan was one day from striking the islands of Wallis and Futuna and two days from striking the larger island nation of Fiji. There was an unusually strong radar signal on the northwest side of Evan's eye wall, a few kilometers (miles) above the ocean surface. Furthermore, operational analyses suggested Evan was holding steady or weakening slightly at the time the TRMM saw radar reflectivity in excess of 50 dBZ at the base of the eye wall. In short, the strong radar signal at the base of the eye wall on Dec. 14 is noteworthy but not the sign of a tropical cyclone that is about to become a monster storm.
ReplyDeleteThe primary scientific goal of the Juno mission is to significantly improve our understanding of the formation, evolution and structure of Jupiter. Concealed beneath a dense cover of clouds, Jupiter, the archetypical "Giant Planet," safeguards secrets to the fundamental processes underlying the early formation of our solar system. Present theories of the origin and early evolution of our solar system are currently at an impasse. Juno will provide answers to critical science questions about Jupiter, as well as key information that will dramatically enhance present theories about the early formation of our own solar system.
ReplyDeleteJuno is carrying a color camera to give the public its first detailed look at Jupiter’s poles. This distant image was captured by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which visited the giant planet in 2000 on its way to Saturn.
In 2016, the spinning, solar-powered Juno spacecraft will reach Jupiter and enter into a highly elliptical polar orbit that skims only 5000 kilometers above the planet's atmosphere. Building on the results of previous missions, Juno will provide new information to help us determine how, when and where this giant planet formed. Answering these questions for Jupiter is essential for an understanding of the origin of the solar system itself because Jupiter contains more mass than all the other planets combined. Juno will seek these answers with instruments that can sense the hidden world beneath Jupiter's colorful clouds while other experiments investigate the external effects that world produces.
I have chosen to write about the Dawn Mission for my summary. The Dawn mission will observe and study the dwarf planet Ceres and the asteroid Vesta to search for a closer look into the formation and history of the solar system. The reason for choosing these two space masses is because they are relatively close in location, but have completely different physical features and characteristics. Ceres’ surface contains water bearing minerals and is similar to that of a Jovian planet, whereas Vesta resembles a Terrestrial planet because of its rocky composition and dry surface. The goal for this mission is to develop a more accurate theory of how the solar system formed and to make scientific breakthroughs regarding the early stages of the solar system as a whole. Currently, the Dawn mission is slowly but surely progressing from the asteroid Vesta to the dwarf planet, Ceres. Dawn is scheduled to reach Ceres by February of 2015. When the Dawn Spacecraft launched from the Cape Carnival Air Force Station in Florida on September 27, 2007, it took about three different stages and nine solid fueled booster rockets to propel the spacecraft into the solar atmosphere. Dawn has already visited Vesta and is now following its orbital path to Ceres. The history of the Dawn mission includes when the spacecraft arrived on Vesta in July of 2011, but other than that it is a relatively new mission and does not have any background experience in space. The Dawn spacecraft is a unique device because it carries three scientific instruments used to better analyze the space masses that it has already and will be investigating. These instruments are a visible and infrared mapping spectrometer, a visible camera, and a gamma ray and neutron spectrometer. Each of these unique characteristics will help scientists to further analyze and better understand the mysteries of the solar system.
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DeleteARCTAS
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ReplyDeleteSMART 1
ReplyDeleteSMART 1's main purpose is to explore the darker, south pole of Earth's moon. It launched on September 23, 2003 and its mission was a success.SMART 1 also made the first comprehensive inventory of key chemical elements in the lunar surface. It reinforced the theory that the Moon was formed following during a violent collision of a smaller planet with Earth, four and a half thousand million(4.5 billion) years ago. Its main goals were to investigate the southern pole of the Moon, and it was fantastic success. T conserve fuel, they didn't do the common way of travelling to the moon(short bursts), but instead they gradually used the fuel. Instead of the SMART-1 spacecraft returning to Earth, they crashed it onto the moon, destroying data for no other people to see, and making it out of reach for other countries. SMART 1 was about one meter across, and rather lightweight compared to other spacecraft. It was obviously unmanned, and weighed about 809 pounds. This spacecraft was a Swedish model, and was part of the European's Space Agency. The project manager at ESA was Giuseppe Racca and the project manager at the Swedish Space Corporation was Peter Rathsman; the Principal Project Scientist was Bernard Foing.
ReplyDeleteI chose to write about the SWIFT Mission. The SWIFT is a Observatory dedicated to gamma ray burst science. SWIFT has set mission objectives, some of which include:
ReplyDelete-Determine the origin of gamma-ray bursts
-Classify gamma-ray bursts and search for new types
-Determine how the blast wave involves and interacts with its surroundings
-Use gamma-ray bursts to study the early universe
-Preform the first sensitive x-ray of the sky
SWIFT was launched in 2004 and was expected to observe 200 bursts over the course of its two year mission. Now operating nearly six years, the SWIFT has detected over 600 bursts. It is apart of the NASA Medium Explorer Program and was launched into Low-Earth orbit on a Delta 7320 rocket. SWIFT has caught a unique gamma-burst, has pictures of the birth of a black hole, has detected many explosions, and much more! This observatory is quite interesting. It has three main instruments that function together. These instruments observe some gamma-ray bursts and view the afterglow. In order to view GRBs scientists use X-rays, Ultraviolet, Optical Wavebands, and gamma rays. The SWIFT is still functioning today.
The rovers launched toward Mars on June 10 and July 7 of 2003. They landed January 24 and 25 of 2004. The rovers would help us find a history of water on Mars that could support life. The rovers operate on solar power, and often had to find a northern slope that would provide direct sunlight so it would survive the winters on Mars.
ReplyDeleteOpportunity and Spirt aren't the first rovers to land on Mars. There was one before them named Sojourner that stopped communicating with Earth on September 27, 1997. While Opportunity is still active on Mars, Spirit became immobile in 2009 and stopped all communication with Earth in 2010. Spirit lasted 2210 Sols.
The space station is a working laboratory orbiting 240 miles above the Earth and is home to an international crew. The station has more than 15,000 cubic feet of habitable volume, which includes more room than a conventional three-bedroom house. The station provides a laboratory complex where gravity, a fundamental force on Earth, is virtually eliminated for extended periods. The ability to control the variable of gravity in experiments creates unimaginable research possibilities.
ReplyDeleteThe station is vital to human exploration. It is where we are learning how to combat the physiological effects of being in space for long periods. The space station is our test bed for technologies and our decision-making processes when things go as planned and when they don't. It is important to learn and test these things 240 miles up rather than encountering them 240,000 miles away while on the way to Mars or beyond.As of July 2012, there have been 125 launches to the space station since the launch of the first module, Zarya, at 1:40 a.m. EST on Nov. 20, 1998: 81 Russian vehicles, 37 space shuttles, one U.S. commercial vehicle, three European and three Japanese vehicles. The final space shuttle mission July 8-21, 2011, by Atlantis delivered 4.5 tons of supplies in the Raffaello logistics module.
A total of 162 spacewalks have been conducted in support of space station assembly totaling more than 1,021 hours.
The space station, including its large solar arrays, spans the area of a U.S. football field, including the end zones, and weighs 861,804 pounds, not including visiting vehicles. The complex now has more livable room than a conventional five-bedroom house, and has two bathrooms, a gymnasium and a 360-degree bay window.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteStardust NExT
ReplyDeleteDuring a 12 year period, Stardust- NExT collected and returned comet material to Earth and was reused after the end of its prime mission in 2006 to observe and study another comet during February 2011. It was first launched on February 7, 1999, and traveled halfway Jupiter to collect the particle samples from the comet Wild 2. Stardust NExt brought the samples back to awaiting comet scientists on Earth. The spacecraft was sent on a bonus mission and to fly past comet Temple 1(which was struck by the Deep Impact mission) in 2005. Stardust collected images and other scientific data of Temple 1 that was to be compared to the data collected from Deep Impact. Stardust's fuel finally depleted on March 23, 2011. The stardust team decided to burn the rest of its energy since it was literally "running on fumes." The plan was to fire Stardust's rockets until they were completely empty. Stardust travelled approximately 3.54 billion miles by the end of its final mission. Stardust sent its last transmission March 2, 2011, right after depleting its fuel and ceasing operations.
HAYABUSA
ReplyDeleteHAYABUSA was a mission started by the Japaniese in 2003 examine the asteriod Itokawa. The mission ended up being a huge success and they learned quite a bit about the asteriod. Their main goal was tobring samples back to evaluate. This mission is curently not operative since they have touched back down on earth and were successful. The mission orbit was heliocentric. There wasn't any real history or background on the mission. The M-V-5 was 150 kg. It had 2 antenna's (low-gain/high-gain), a RCS, sampler, sun scener, and an ion thruster. It was also 5.7 meters at full with.
ReplyDeleteThe voyager 1 and 2 were launched in 1977 and are now really far from Pluto and the rest of the planets, but still not out of the solar system. the main mission of these was to explore Jupiter and Saturn. even really far away it is still sending science information. It is run on nuclear power. the voyager 1 and 2 are at the Heliosheath now. after they explored Jupiter and Saturn they sent Voyager 2 to Uranus and Neptune. They have 16 thrusters and 8 back up thrusters on them. they also have 11 scientific instruments on them. the voyager 1 is 17.9 billion km form the sun and the Voyager 2 is only 14.9 billion km away. the Voyager 1 should pass out of the solar system very soon.
ReplyDeleteAquarius
ReplyDeleteNEW HORIZON
ReplyDeleteCALIPSO
ReplyDeleteNew Horizons spacecraft was launched in 2006 by NASA. Horizons is currently halfway between Earth and Pluto on approach to the dwarf plant and its moons. The goal of this mission is to go past Pluto and visit an outer planet named 2003 UB313. In July 2015 will fly past Pluto, taking pictures of it also. This will be a record setting distance as the farthest distance ever traveled. The scientific portion of this voyage is to discover a new planet and view it like it’s never been seen before. The spacecraft is running on nuclear power and is loaded with seven instruments.
ReplyDeleteFor a satellite that's only five years old, CALIPSO has accomplished a lot. The Earth-observing spacecraft took its three-billionth photo on June 2. How has it been able to take that many shots? CALIPSO sends out 20 laser pulses every second, and each is only 20 billionths of a second long.The satellite is providing information to scientists and researchers from over 35 countries. The data are helping answer questions about Earth's warming and cooling patterns as they are affected by clouds and aerosols, which are tiny particles suspended in the air.CALIPSO will provide the next generation of climate observations, drastically improving our ability to predict climate change and to study the air we breathe.CALIPSO orbits the earth, and uses solar fuel to power itself.CALIPSO is collaboration between NASA and the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), the space agency of France. Langley is leading the CALIPSO mission and providing overall project management, systems engineering, and payload mission operations.
ReplyDeleteX-MM Newton
ReplyDeleteMany celestial objects generate X-rays in extremely violent processes. But Earth's atmosphere blocks out these X-rays, messengers of what occurred in the distant past when stars were born or died, and clues to our future. X-MM-Newton carries three very advanced X-ray telescopes. They each contain a mirror module with 58 high-precision concentric mirrors, with a wide scoping area to catch the elusive X-rays. These mirror modules allow X-MM-Newton to detect millions of sources, far more than any previous X-ray mission. The satellite follows a highly eccentric orbit, travelling out to nearly one third of the distance to the Moon; this enables astronomers to make very long and uninterrupted observations.
X-MM-Newton's science payload is considerably increasing our knowledge of very hot objects created when the Universe was very young. X-MM-Newton is the second of ESA's four Cornerstone missions defined in the Horizon 2000 Programme. Development and construction of the spacecraft overcame major technological hurdles. Its wafer-thin X-ray mirrors are an extraordinary feat of engineering and the smoothest ever built. The mission was originally designed for a 10-year life, however, since the satellite and instruments are operating admirably without major degradation, we hope to operate the observatory into the next decade, our only limitation being the hydrazine fuel supply.
N.A.S.A.'s Satellite Aquarius, which is Latin for water-bearer, was designed for one sole purpose which was to measure the salinity, or in other terms the measurement of dissolved salt, in our oceans and other water systems. Knowing this is thought to help us better understand two critical to our knowledge of the oceans and seas: ocean circulation and the water cycle. Knowing more about these two things will help us better understand topics of weather and climate. The Aquarius satellite was launched on June 10th of 2011 and is currently in a stable state orbiting around earth, fulfilling it's mission with ease. Like most satellites, it had a typical entry into our atmosphere. The fuel is hardly used but to maneuver the Aquarius in cases where it might collide with another satellite or other space objects. It is thought to last a few years before coming down. The Aquarius and it's rocket to transport it were scheduled to launch around 7:30 AM on Thursday, June 9th, but was postponed to the 10th, 24 hours later, because of a incosistency in the Delta 2's transport vehicle's profile. The craft can be easily characterized by it's vast instruments, which include a microwave radometer, high-tech infrared sensor, high sensitivity camera, data collection system, radio occultation sounder, three depleted Si and Si/Li detectors and four SMOS sensors. It is thought that within a few months after it's launch, more salinity data was gathered than over the course of 150 years. So far, the craft has served it's purpose and showed much sign of success.
ReplyDeletewind mission
ReplyDeleteThe Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
ReplyDeleteARCTAS means Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites. Their goal is to find the best fire targets and tailor the flight path of NASA’s airborne laboratories to track and investigate the properties of smoke plumes. Satellites have recently shown smoke plumes reaching higher into the atmosphere than previously thought possible, and now, aircraft will help confirm what satellites observed and improve future model predictions. They use the
ReplyDelete'Impressionist' Spacecraft to View Solar System's .
ARCTAS acts as private investor, advisor and arranger in complex energy transactions, particularly pipelines, LNG and power plants.The spring deployment will target anthropogenic pollution including arctic haze, stratosphere-troposphere exchange, and sunrise photochemistry including halogen radicals. The summer deployment will target boreal forest fires, stratosphere-troposphere exchange, and summertime photochemistry. ARCTAS is part of the international POLARCAT arctic field program for atmospheric composition. Researchers are hoping to spot the infamous pyrocumulus plume. Under atmospheric conditions similar to those that generate thunder storms, this type of plume can loft particles high into the upper atmosphere. The particles can then jet around the globe carried by high wind speeds and remain at altitude for an extended period, potentially impacting climate. World’s first integrated and co-located LNG terminal and power plant (540MW); one of the world’s largest LNG storage tanks; provides power and gas to Puerto Rico (13% of countries’ energy needs); the most efficient power plant in the country because it uses natural gas as fuel and its plant design.
history and background:
ReplyDelete-launched November 1. 1994
-first of two U.S. missions of the Global Geospace Science
Science Goals:
measure crucial properties of the solar wind before it impacts earths magnetic fields and alters the earths space environment
Mission and Spacecraft Characteristics:
-The spacecraft is 1.6 meters across and 1 meter high, not including the four solar arrays and the magnetometer booms attached to two of the solar panels
-At launch it weighed 785 kg which includes 189 kg of hydrazine fuel for orbit insertion and maintenance
-The solar arrays generate about 500 watts of power
-The spacecraft spins at 5 rpm, with the spin axis generally pointed along the Earth-sun line and most of the scientific instruments on the top deck.
Current Mission Status:
-2012 , the Wind Mission spacecraft was operating normally in their eighth year of orbiting
Mission Orbit and Fuel Status:
-double lunar swinging orbit
-maximum apogee of 250Re during its first two years of operating
-halo orbit
-fuel use is 9 lbm each year total
-154 lbm of fuel is still in the spacecraft as of October 2007
-if the spacecraft continues using only the amount of fuel it has been using the fuel will be completely gone by year 2024
Mission Summary:
-with the spacecraft, we have a better understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system as well as the astrophysical processes involved
-shows us near-real-time 24/7 (continuous) coverage of solar wind parameters and solar energetic particle intensities. which is the solar weather.
-WIND spacecraft is able to collect power 10 to 1000 times greater than past experiments
In the centuries that followed, telescopes grew in size and complexity and, of course, power. They were placed far from city lights and as far above the haze of the atmosphere as possible. Edwin Hubble, for whom the Hubble Telescope is named, used the largest telescope of his day in the 1920's at the Mt. Wilson Observatory near Pasadena, California, to discover galaxies beyond our own.Hubble, the observatory, is the first major optical telescope to be placed in space, the ultimate mountaintop. Above the distortion of the atmosphere, far far above rain clouds and light pollution, Hubble has an unobstructed view of the universe. Scientists have used Hubble to observe the most distant stars and galaxies as well as the planets in our solar system.From far to near, from the earliest moments in the universe to current sandstorms on the surface of Mars... Hubble's launching in 1990 marks the most significant advance in astronomy since Galileo's telescope. Our view of the universe and our place within it has never been the same.
ReplyDeleteaura mission
ReplyDeleteAURA:Aura was launched July 15, 2004. It was part of the Earth Science Projects Division, a program dedicated to monitoring the complex interactions that affect the globe using NASA satellites and data systems. The spacecraft was built by Northrop Gurmman Space Technology and adapted for the Aura instrument payload.
ReplyDeleteThe Aura spacecraft provides the essential services for operating the four scientific instruments over the life of the mission. It contains advanced technologies that have been developed for use on environmental satellites. Each of the instruments provides unique and complementary capabilities that will enable daily global observations of Earth's atmospheric ozone layer, air quality, and key climate parameters. Aura's four instruments study the atmospheres chemistry and dynamics. Its measurements will provide accurate data for predictive models and provide useful information for local and national agency decision support systems.
Aura (Latin for breeze) was launched July 15, 2004. Aura is part of the Earth Science Projects Division, a program dedicated to monitoring the complex interactions that affect the globe using NASA satellites and data systems.
ReplyDeleteAura was Designed To Answer Questions About Changes In Our Life-Sustaining Atmosphere. Aura's four instruments study the atmosphere's chemistry and dynamics. Aura's measurements will enable us to investigate questions about ozone trends, air quality changes and their linkage to climate change. Aura's measurements will provide accurate data for predictive models and provide useful information for local and national agency decision support systems. Aura was launched into a sun-synchronous, near polar (98.2 degree inclination) orbit. It orbits 705 km (438 miles) above the Earth with a sixteen-day repeat cycle and 233 revolutions per cycle. The ascending node is in daylight and crosses the equator at approximately 1:45 PM. The Aura spacecraft is flying in formation with other Earth observing satellites called the A-Train.
THE SPACECRAFT?
The Aura spacecraft was successfully launched on July 15, 2004 aboard a Delta II 7920-10L, a two stage expendable rocket, from the Vandenberg Western Test Range. What is a Delta 7920-10L? The 7 refers to the Delta series, 9 is the number of solid motors, 2 is the type of second stage and 0 is the type of third stage, in this case none. Fairing is the covering that protects the Aura spacecraft during launch and its trip into orbit. 10L describes the fairing; in Aura's case the fairing is 10 ft, (3 m) in diameter and is 'stretched' approximately 3 ft. longer than the fairing on the 7920-10. In modern days, Aura has recently celebrated its 8th birthday, July 15, 2012, marked Aura's 8th year!
The main golal of the The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)is to make fundamental measurements of cosmology. Cosmology is the study of the properties of our universe as a whole. The current status of WMAP is ended. However, the mission was a success after functioning for 13 years. The WMAP's stradegy was to float across the sky. Out of this mission, the production of the new Standard Model of Cosmology came out. As this probe moved across the sky, it has gathered alot of useful information.
ReplyDeleteHerschal: Herschel Finds Past-Prime Star May Be Making Planets, PASADENA, Calif. -- A star thought to have passed the age at which it can form planets may, in fact, be creating new worlds. The disk of material surrounding the surprising star called TW Hydrae may be massive enough to make even more planets than we have in our own solar system.
ReplyDeleteThe findings were made using the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Telescope, a mission in which NASA is a participant.
At roughly 10 million years old and 176 light years away, TW Hydrae is relatively close to Earth by astronomical standards. Its planet-forming disk has been well studied. TW Hydrae is relatively young but, in theory, it is past the age at which giant planets already may have formed.
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ReplyDelete- Mission Summary:
ReplyDeleteThe Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite mission is exploring Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs), to find out why they form and why they are changing.
- Science Goals:
The overall goal of the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) experiment is to resolve why Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) form and why they vary. By measuring PMCs and the thermal, chemical and dynamical environment in which they form, we will quantify the connection between these clouds and the meteorology of the polar mesosphere.
- Current Mission Status:
The AIM mission has been extended by NASA through the end of FY12. During this time the instruments will monitor noctilucent clouds to better understand their variability and possible connection to climate change.
- Mission Orbit and fuel use strategy:
The AIM satellite orbits around the Sun-synchronous, and it is powered by two solar rays.
- History and Background:
Launch Date: 25 April 2007
Location: Vandenberg AFB, California, USA
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus
Orbit: Sun-synchronous
- Mission and Spacecraft Characteristics:
The AIM satellite is a 200 kg (440 lb), 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) by 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) spacecraft, powered by two solar rays, carrying three instruments:
Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS)
Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE)
Solar Occultation for Ice Experiment (SOFIE)