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| DSCOVR Satellite in a clean room tent |
On Saturday, Nov. 1 I worked at day at NASA for a "friends and family day" for one of the latest satellites developed for launch in January to study the sun's output.
The day started at 8am and ended by 2pm. There were 8 bus loads of people who came to see the satellite at NASA before it got shipped to Florida for a launch from Cape Canaveral.
There were 4 scientists that spoke about the purpose of the satellite, the components (equipment) and what it's going to provide to scientists back on Earth.  |
| A group listrening to the presentation |
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| Deputy Bob Smith speaking about DSCOVR |
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| DSCOVR Satellite in clean room tent |
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| Scientist E.J. Sommerlin describes solar storms |
The Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, will maintain the nation's real-time solar wind monitoring capabilities which
are critical to the accuracy and lead time of NOAA's space weather
alerts and forecasts. Without timely and accurate warnings, space
weather events like the geomagnetic storms caused by changes in solar
wind have the potential to disrupt nearly every major public
infrastructure system, including power grids, telecommunications,
aviation and GPS.
DSCOVR will succeed NASA's Advanced Composition Explore’s (ACE) role in supporting solar wind alerts and warnings from the L1 orbit, the neutral gravity point between the Earth and sun approximately one million miles from Earth. L1 is a good position from which to monitor the sun, because the constant stream of particles from the sun (the solar wind) reaches L1 about an hour before reaching Earth.
From this position,
DSCOVR will typically be able to provide 15 to 60 minute warning time before the surge of particles and magnetic field, known as a coronal mass ejection (or CME), associated with a geomagnetic storm reaches Earth. DSCOVR data will also be used to improve predictions of geomagnetic storm impact locations. Our national security and economic well-being, which depend on advanced technologies, are at risk without these advanced warnings.
Want to know more? Go to: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/DSCOVR/
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| George and his son Alexander |
