DOCSLIB.ORG

And Ground-Based Observations of Pulsating Aurora

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Spring 2010 Space- and ground-based observations of pulsating aurora Sarah Jones University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation Jones, Sarah, "Space- and ground-based observations of pulsating aurora" (2010). Doctoral Dissertations. 597. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/597 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SPACE- AND GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS OF PULSATING AURORA BY SARAH JONES B.A. in Physics, Dartmouth College 2004 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics May, 2010 UMI Number: 3470104 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Dissertation Publishing UMI 3470104 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 This dissertation has been examined and approved. wacos^L Dissertation Director, Marc Lessard, Research Associate Professor of Physics k. &uK Amitava Bhattacharjee, Professor of Physics tM^/z^fS^c /ZZ^€fr&6st? Eberhard Moebius, Professor of Physics /•Ulwa-o M JQ^ft,'Cf4/i*- Jaraes/Ryan1/ , Professo' r of Physics Karl ^rref7 Professor of Physics Date ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to give special thanks to my advisor, Dr. Marc Lessard, for providing me with excellent research opportunities from my undergraduate through graduate studies and for exposing me to practically all aspects of life as a research scientist leaving me especially well prepared for life after graduate school, assuming such a thing exists! Thanks also to Paul Riley and the UNH machinists for teaching me so much about in­ strument design; the NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract employees; the other sci­ entists; engineers and sounding rocket students from the ROPA, ACES, and CASCADES2 sounding rockets; and the ground support groups from University of Alaksa - Fairbanks and SRI International and down range at Toolik Field Station, Fort Yukon, and Kaktovik, AK who together make rocket science possible. Thanks to all of our collaborators including Drs. Kristina Lynch at Dartmouth Col­ lege, Paul Kintner at Cornell University, Hans Stenbaek-Nielsen and Dirk Lummerzheim of University of Alaska - Fairbanks, K. Asamura of Tohoku University, Craig Heinselman at SRI International, Joshua Semeter at Boston Univ, and to my Ph.D committee members including Drs. Amitava Bhattacharjee, Eberhard Moebius, James Ryan, and Karl Slifer for helpful comments which greatly improved this document. I would also like to thank Goddard Space Flight Center, in particular Dr. James Slavin and my NASA technical advisor Dr. John Sigwarth, for providing me a Graduate Student Researchers Program fellowship. The summer I spent at GSFC was filled with great research and networking opportunities. And finally thanks to the past and present students working in the UNH Magnetosphere- Ionosphere Research Laboratory and/or the other students who have been stationed in room iii 426ab. Thanks for putting up with me! Research at the University of New Hampshire, Cornell University, Dartmouth Col­ lege, and by Stenbaek-Nielsen and Lummerzheim at the University of AlaskaFairbanks was supported by NASA Grants NNG05WC36G, NNG05WC37G, NNG05WC38G, and NNG05WC39G, respectively. Work at Boston University was supported by NSF Grant ATM-0538868, and PFISR data collection and analysis were supported by NSF Grant ATM-0608577. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES viii ABSTRACT xv 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 PLASMA PHYSICS 5 2.1 Plasma - The Fourth State of Matter 5 2.2 Single Particle Motion and Adiabatic Invariants 8 2.3 Pitch Angle and Loss Cone 11 2.4 Pitch-Angle Scattering by Cyclotron Resonance 11 3 THE SUN-EARTH SYSTEM 14 3.1 The Sun and Solar Wind 14 3.2 The Earth's Magnetosphere 16 3.3 Magnetic Reconnection 18 3.4 Plasma Entry and Convection 19 3.5 The Ionosphere and Neutral Atmosphere 20 4 AURORA 22 4.1 Auroral Sounding Rockets 22 4.2 General Information 24 4.3 Types of Aurora 25 4.4 Auroral Storms and Substorms 26 v 5 MEASUREMENTS AND METHODS 30 5.1 Rocket Observations of Pulsating Aurora (ROPA) 30 5.2 Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR) 32 5.3 Inverse Methods 35 6 PULSATING AURORA 41 6.1 Characteristics of Pulsating Aurora 41 6.2 Particle Precipitation Associated with Pulsating Aurora 44 6.3 Proposed Pulsation Mechanisms 47 6.4 The Importance of the Ionosphere (Stenbaek-Nielsen 1980) 50 6.5 The Relationship Between Diffuse and Pulsating Aurora 54 6.6 Application of the Flowing Cyclotron Maser 58 7 PFISR AND ROCKET OBSERVATIONS OF PULSATING AURORA 62 7.1 Observations of Ionospheric Effects on Pulsating Aurora 62 7.2 Rocket Observations of Pulsating Aurora 64 7.3 PFISR Observations of Pulsating Aurora 65 7.4 Numerical estimate of incident electron energy spectrum 66 7.5 Numerical estimate of luminosity profile 74 7.6 Discussion and conclusions 75 8 STATISTICS OF THE SOURCE REGION FOR PULSATING AURORA 80 8.1 Source Region for Pulsating Aurora 80 8.2 Large-scale aspects of pulsating aurora 80 8.3 Methodology 83 8.4 Results 85 8.4.1 Spatial/temporal evolution 85 vi 8.4.2 Event durations 86 8.4.3 Spatial occurrence distributions and temporal properties 88 8.5 Discussion and conclusions 90 9 SUB-KEV ELECTRON SIGNATURES WITHIN PULSATING AURORA 92 9.1 ROPA event 92 9.2 ROPA and REIMEI Observations of Precipitating Electrons 93 9.3 Estimation of Accelerated Distribution 96 9.4 PFISR Observations of Sub-keV Electron Signatures 98 9.5 Discussion and Conclusions 99 10 CONCLUSIONS 101 10.1 Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar and Rocket Observations of Pulsating Aurora 102 10.2 Statistics of the Source Region for Pulsating Aurora 104 10.3 Sub-keV Electron Signatures Within Pulsating Aurora 105 10.4 The Importance of Pulsating Aurora 106 BIBLIOGRAPHY 109 vii LIST OF FIGURES 1 The particle's Doppler shifted cyclotron frequency compares with the wave frequency such that in the frame of the electron the electric field is static. 12 1 Artist rendition of the Sun-Earth system, note that the magnetosphere is highly distorted from the dipole form (NASA) 15 2 Magnetosphere illustration showing various regions and currents associated with magnetic field boundaries, (with permission from Tony Lui) 17 3 Illustration of reconnection site, the two magnetic separatrices (dashed lines) separate four regions. Field lines and frozen-in plasma move inward from the top and bottom of the figure toward the reconnection site at the center and a current develops (into the plane of the figure) between the oppositely directed magnetic field lines. After reconnection occurs there is a new magnetic field configuration with plasma and field lines moving outward to the sides of the figure. The actual process of magnetic reconnection is not completely understood. (Wikipedia, public domain image) 18 4 CLUSTER statistical convection maps created using data from the Electron Drift Instrument for southward and northward IMF (with permission from S. Haaland, Max-Planck Inst, ESA) 20 vni 1 Launch of four-stage sounding rocket for Rocket Observations of Pulsating Aurora (ROPA) on February 12, 2007. (photo courtesy of Todd Valentic, SRI International) 23 2 Auroral substorm and pulsating aurora over northern Finland-2004 March 14. (courtesy of Robert Wagner, Max-Planck Inst) 27 1 Illustration of ISR spectra showing peaks at both the electron plasma fre­ quency and the ion acoustic frequency, without and with Landau damping effects. 33 2 Conceptual drawing of AMISR antenna array with aurora in background (with permission from Craig Heinselman, SRI International) 34 3 Comparison of the ionization rates obtained from three methods using same MSIS modeled atmosphere; note dependence of ionization rate on altitude, location of peak changes in altitude for various incident electron energies (Figure 3 of Fang et al. (2008), with permission from Journal of Geophysical Research) 37 4 The first image in the top row is the measured data, followed by the additive noise obtained by averaging several dark frames, then the result of subtracting the additive noise, and finally a lightly filtered version of the image. The second row contains possible de-blurred image solutions, first by a crude direct inversion, second by a simple minimum norm method, and finally using the maximum entropy method which for these cases provided the best results 39 IX 6-1 The results of computer analysis of simultaneous VLF emission and auroral pulsation data. The uppermost panel shows the dynamic spectrum of the low- frequency emissions. The second panel presents the variations of intensity maxima (dotted curve) and auroral intensity in two windows. This figure shows that for some look directions, in particular photometer 1, the optical intensity of the aurora correlated with the intensity of VLF wave emissions, (reprinted with permission from Tagirov et al. (1999)) 45 6-2 Frequency time spectra of VLF (upper panel) and ELF (bottom panel) wave activity obtained by FAST. Almost no ELF or VLF wave activity was seen inside the region of the pulsating aurora, though intense auroral hiss emissions were observed in the region of a discrete aurora during the interval of 232030 to 232220 UT.
Recommended publications
  • Jets Downstream of Collisionless Shocks

    Jets Downstream of Collisionless Shocks

    Space Sci Rev (2018) 214:81 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-018-0516-3 Jets Downstream of Collisionless Shocks Ferdinand Plaschke1,2 · Heli Hietala3 · Martin Archer4 · Xóchitl Blanco-Cano5 · Primož Kajdicˇ5 · Tomas Karlsson6 · Sun Hee Lee7 · Nojan Omidi8 · Minna Palmroth9,10 · Vadim Roytershteyn11 · Daniel Schmid12 · Victor Sergeev13 · David Sibeck7 Received: 19 December 2017 / Accepted: 2 June 2018 / Published online: 21 June 2018 © The Author(s) 2018 Abstract The magnetosheath flow may take the form of large amplitude, yet spatially local- ized, transient increases in dynamic pressure, known as “magnetosheath jets” or “plasmoids” among other denominations. Here, we describe the present state of knowledge with respect to such jets, which are a very common phenomenon downstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock. We discuss their properties as determined by satellite observations (based on both case and statistical studies), their occurrence, their relation to solar wind and foreshock con- ditions, and their interaction with and impact on the magnetosphere. As carriers of plasma and corresponding momentum, energy, and magnetic flux, jets bear some similarities to bursty bulk flows, which they are compared to. Based on our knowledge of jets in the near Earth environment, we discuss the expectations for jets occurring in other planetary and B F. Plaschke [email protected] 1 Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria 2 Present address: Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria 3 Department of
  • Earthrise- Contents and Chapter 1

    Earthrise- Contents and Chapter 1

    EARTHRISE: HOW MAN FIRST SAW THE EARTH Contents 1. Earthrise, seen for the first time by human eyes 2. Apollo 8: from the Moon to the Earth 3. A Short History of the Whole Earth 4. From Landscape to Planet 5. Blue Marble 6. An Astronaut’s View of Earth 7. From Cold War to Open Skies 8. From Spaceship Earth to Mother Earth 9. Gaia 10. The Discovery of the Earth 1. Earthrise, seen for the first time by human eyes On Christmas Eve 1968 three American astronauts were in orbit around the Moon: Frank Borman, James Lovell, and Bill Anders. The crew of Apollo 8 had been declared by the United Nations to be the ‘envoys of mankind in outer space’; they were also its eyes.1 They were already the first people to leave Earth orbit, the first to set eyes on the whole Earth, and the first to see the dark side of the Moon, but the most powerful experience still awaited them. For three orbits they gazed down on the lunar surface through their capsule’s tiny windows as they carried out the checks and observations prescribed for almost every minute of this tightly-planned mission. On the fourth orbit, as they began to emerge from the far side of the Moon, something happened. They were still out of radio contact with the Earth, but the on- board voice recorder captured their excitement. Borman: Oh my God! Look at that picture over there! Here’s the Earth coming up. Wow, that is pretty! Anders: Hey, don’t take that, it’s not scheduled.
  • RECOVERY HELICOPTERS by John Stonesifer

    RECOVERY HELICOPTERS by John Stonesifer

    RECOVERY HELICOPTERS By John Stonesifer The planning throughout the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) programs to recover astronauts from a water landing after returning from space was to use helicopters operating from a carrier-type ship positioned in the Planned Landing Area. Early Mercury flights (Shepard, Freedom 7; Grissom, Liberty Bell 7; Glenn, Friendship 7) were supported by Marine squadrons using UH34D helicopters (Photo #1) operating from carrier-type ships for the Atlantic ocean recoveries. Carpenter’s flight, Aurora 7 following Glenn’s orbital flight, was again planned to land in the Atlantic and be supported by the Marine helicopters aboard the USS Intrepid. Recovery support for Carpenter’s landing rapidly changed when it was learned the spacecraft landed approximately 250 miles downrange from the Planed Landing Area. The landing was beyond the range for the Marine helicopters to immediately depart for the landing area. Aboard the Intrepid was a squadron of the larger, faster, greater- range SH-3A Sea King helicopters (Photo #2) that were just recently introduced to the fleet. Their mission during this deployment was primarily to practice their role of anti- submarine warfare while at sea en route to the assigned recovery station. However, when information became available that Carpenter was a considerable range downrange, decisions were made to utilize the SH-3A helicopters rather than the UH34D helicopters to fly to the landing. The swim teams and photographers quickly transferred their gear to the SH-3As and they sped to the scene. At the scene, pararescue jumpers had already parachuted from an Air Force plane to install the flotation collar and render assistance to Carpenter in his raft.
  • Skylab Attitude and Pointing Control System

    Skylab Attitude and Pointing Control System

    I' NASA TECHNICAL NOTE SKYLAB ATTITUDE AND POINTING CONTROL SYSTEM by W. B. Chzlbb and S. M. Seltzer George C. Marshall Space Flight Center Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala. 35812 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON, 0. C. FEBRUARY 1971 I I TECH LIBRARY KAFB, NM .. -, - ___.. 0132813 I. REPORT NO. 2. GOVERNMNT ACCESSION NO. j. KtLIPlbNl'b LAIALOb NO. - NASA- __ TN D-6068 I I 1 1. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. REPORT DATE L February 1971 Skylab Attitude and Pointing Control System 6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE __- I 7. AUTHOR(S) 8. PERFORMlNG ORGANlZATlON REPORT # - W... -B. Chubb and S. M. Seltzer I 3. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. WORK UNIT NO. 908 52 10 0000 M211 965 21 00 0000 George C. Marshall Space Flight Center I' 1. CONTRACT OR GRANT NO. Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812 L 13. TYPE OF REPORY & PERIOD COVERED - _-- .. .- __ 2. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AN0 ADORES5 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Technical Note Washington, D. C. 20546 14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE -. - - I 5. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Prepared by: Astrionics Laboratory Science and Engineering Directorate ~- 6. ABSTRACT NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is developing an earth-orbiting manned space station called Skylab. The purpose of Skylab is to perform scientific experiments in solar astronomy and earth resources and to study biophysical and physical properties in a zero gravity environment. The attitude and pointing control system requirements are dictated by onboard experiments. These requirements and the resulting attitude and pointing control system are presented. 18 .- 0 1 STR inUT I ONSmTEMeNT Space station Control moment gyro Unclassified - Unlimited Attitude control -~ 9.
  • Through Astronaut Eyes: Photographing Early Human Spaceflight

    Through Astronaut Eyes: Photographing Early Human Spaceflight

    Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Purdue University Press Book Previews Purdue University Press 6-2020 Through Astronaut Eyes: Photographing Early Human Spaceflight Jennifer K. Levasseur Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_previews This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. THROUGH ASTRONAUT EYES PURDUE STUDIES IN AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS James R. Hansen, Series Editor Purdue Studies in Aeronautics and Astronautics builds on Purdue’s leadership in aeronautic and astronautic engineering, as well as the historic accomplishments of many of its luminary alums. Works in the series will explore cutting-edge topics in aeronautics and astronautics enterprises, tell unique stories from the history of flight and space travel, and contemplate the future of human space exploration and colonization. RECENT BOOKS IN THE SERIES British Imperial Air Power: The Royal Air Forces and the Defense of Australia and New Zealand Between the World Wars by Alex M Spencer A Reluctant Icon: Letters to Neil Armstrong by James R. Hansen John Houbolt: The Unsung Hero of the Apollo Moon Landings by William F. Causey Dear Neil Armstrong: Letters to the First Man from All Mankind by James R. Hansen Piercing the Horizon: The Story of Visionary NASA Chief Tom Paine by Sunny Tsiao Calculated Risk: The Supersonic Life and Times of Gus Grissom by George Leopold Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer by Jerry L. Ross THROUGH ASTRONAUT EYES Photographing Early Human Spaceflight Jennifer K.
  • Gram, No In-Depth Cross-Correlation of the Voluminous Multidisciplinary Data Has Been Possible

    Gram, No In-Depth Cross-Correlation of the Voluminous Multidisciplinary Data Has Been Possible

    SKYLAB: A BEGINNING NationaZ Aeronautics and Space Ahinistration I Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center "The Eagle has landed; Tranquillity Base here." This simple and now historic message of July 20, 1969, marked the attainment of perhaps the greatest peacetime goal in the history of man. It fulfilled President Kennedy's directive issued some 8 short, hectic years earlier, when he proclaimed on May 25, 1961 : "I bel ieve we should go to the moon . before this decade is out." It marked the culmination of a technically complex engineering accomplishment that began with Mercury and continued uninterrupted through Gemini and prelunar Apollo. The ultimate goal of these efforts was a manned lunar landing. None of these programs had as a major objective the detailed study of man's biomedical responses to the space environment, except in the broadest sense of survival and the ability to live and work effectively in that environment. Nevertheless, throughout each program, information con- cerning man and his new surroundings was obtained wherever possible and whenever practicable, ever mindful of the time constraints imposed by the lunar landing goal and the weight limitations of the launch vehicles. In these few days, the preliminary biomedical results of NASA's Skylab effort have been presented to you. A major goal of Skylab was to learn more about man and his responses to the space environment for missions lasting up to 84 days. The results are necessarily prelimin- ary, for in the short time which has elapsed since the end of the pro- gram, no in-depth cross-correlation of the voluminous multidisciplinary data has been possible.
  • Spaceport News John F

    Spaceport News John F

    Aug. 9, 2013 Vol. 53, No. 16 Spaceport News John F. Kennedy Space Center - America’s gateway to the universe MAVEN arrives, Mars next stop Astronauts By Steven Siceloff Spaceport News gather for AVEN’s approach to Mars studies will be Skylab’s Mquite different from that taken by recent probes dispatched to the Red Planet. 40th gala Instead of rolling about on the By Bob Granath surface looking for clues to Spaceport News the planet’s hidden heritage, MAVEN will orbit high above n July 27, the Astronaut the surface so it can sample the Scholarship Foundation upper atmosphere for signs of Ohosted a dinner at the what changed over the eons and Kennedy Space Center’s Apollo/ why. Saturn V Facility celebrating the The mission will be the first 40th anniversary of Skylab. The of its kind and calls for instru- gala featured many of the astro- ments that can pinpoint trace nauts who flew the missions to amounts of chemicals high America’s first space station. above Mars. The results are Six Skylab astronauts partici- expected to let scientists test pated in a panel discussion dur- theories that the sun’s energy ing the event, and spoke about slowly eroded nitrogen, carbon living and conducting ground- dioxide and water from the Mar- breaking scientific experiments tian atmosphere to leave it the aboard the orbiting outpost. dry, desolate world seen today. Launched unpiloted on May “Scientists believe the planet 14, 1973, Skylab was a complex CLICK ON PHOTO NASA/Tim Jacobs orbiting scientific laboratory. has evolved significantly over NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft rests on a processing the past 4.5 billion years,” said stand inside Kennedy’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility Aug.
  • A Profile of Space Weather

    A Profile of Space Weather

    A Profile of Space Weather Space weather describes the conditions in space that affect Earth and its technological systems. Space weather is a consequence of the behavior of the Sun, the nature of Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, and our location in the solar system. The active elements of space weather are particles, electromagnetic energy, and magnetic field, rather than the more commonly known weather contributors of water, temperature, and air. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) forecasts space weather to assist users in avoiding or mitigating severe space weather. Most disruptions caused by space weather storms affect technology, With the rising sophistication of our technologies, and the number of people that rely on this technology, vulnerability to space weather events has increased dramatically. Geomagnetic Storms Induced Currents in the atmosphere and on the ground Electric Power Grid systems suffer (black-outs) Pipelines carrying oil, for instance, can be damaged by the high currents. Electric Charges in Space Solar Radiation Storms Satellites may encounter problems with the on- board components and electronic systems. Hazard to Humans Geomagnetic disruption in the upper atmosphere High radiation hazard to astronauts HF (high frequency) radio interference Less threathening, but can effect high-flying aircraft at high latitudes Satellite navigation (like GPS receivers) may be degraded Damage to Satellites Satellites can slow and even change orbit. High-energy particles can render satellites useless (either temporarily or permanently) The Aurora can be seen in high latitudes Impact on Communications HF communications as well as Low Frequency Navigation Signals are susceptible to radiation storms. HF communication at high latitudes is often impossible for several days during radiation storms Space Weather Prediction Center The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) Forecast Center is jointly operated by NOAA and the U.S.
  • An Overview of the Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) in the Context of “Big Data”

    An Overview of the Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) in the Context of “Big Data”

    An Overview of the Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) in the Context of “Big Data” Bob McGuire, SPDF Project Scientist Heliophysics Science Division (Code 670) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Presented to the Big Data Task Force, June 29, 2016 Topics • As an active Final Archive, what is SPDF? – Scope, Responsibilities and Major Elements • Current Data • Future Plans and BDTF Questions REFERENCE URL: http://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov 8/3/16 2:33 PM 2 SPDF in the Heliophysics Science Data Management Policy • One of two (active) Final Archives in Heliophysics – Ensure the long-term preservation and ongoing (online) access to NASA heliophysics science data • Serve and preserve data with metadata / software • Understand past / present / future mission data status • NSSDC is continuing limited recovery of older but useful legacy data from media – Data served via FTP/HTTP, via user web i/f, via webservices – SPDF focus is non-solar missions and data • Heliophysics Data Environment (HpDE) critical infrastructure – Heliophysics-wide dataset inventory (VSPO->HDP) – APIs (e.g. webservices) into SPDF system capabilities and data • Center of Excellence for science-enabling data standards and for science-enabling data services 8/3/16 2:33 PM 3 SPDF Services • Emphasis on multi-instrument, multi-mission science (1) Specific mission/instrument data in context of other missions/data (2) Specific mission/instrument data as enriching context for other data (3) Ancillary services & software (orbits, data standards, special products) • Specific services include
  • The Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Observatory (MIO)

    The Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Observatory (MIO)

    1 The Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Observatory (MIO) …a mission concept to answer the question “What Drives Auroral Arcs” ♥ Get inside the aurora in the magnetosphere ♥ Know you’re inside the aurora ♥ Measure critical gradients writeup by: Joe Borovsky Los Alamos National Laboratory [email protected] (505)667-8368 updated April 4, 2002 Abstract: The MIO mission concept involves a tight swarm of satellites in geosynchronous orbit that are magnetically connected to a ground-based observatory, with a satellite-based electron beam establishing the precise connection to the ionosphere. The aspect of this mission that enables it to solve the outstanding auroral problem is “being in the right place at the right time – and knowing it”. Each of the many auroral-arc-generator mechanisms that have been hypothesized has a characteristic gradient in the magnetosphere as its fingerprint. The MIO mission is focused on (1) getting inside the auroral generator in the magnetosphere, (2) knowing you are inside, and (3) measuring critical gradients inside the generator. The decisive gradient measurements are performed in the magnetosphere with satellite separations of 100’s of km. The magnetic footpoint of the swarm is marked in the ionosphere with an electron gun firing into the loss cone from one satellite. The beamspot is detected from the ground optically and/or by HF radar, and ground-based auroral imagers and radar provide the auroral context of the satellite swarm. With the satellites in geosynchronous orbit, a single ground observatory can spot the beam image and monitor the aurora, with full-time conjunctions between the satellites and the aurora.
  • Space Station” IMAX Film

    Space Station” IMAX Film

    “Space Station” IMAX Film Theme: Learning to Work, and Live, in Space The educational value of NASM Theater programming is that the stunning visual images displayed engage the interest and desire to learn in students of all ages. The programs do not substitute for an in-depth learning experience, but they do facilitate learning and provide a framework for additional study elaborations, both as part of the Museum visit and afterward. See the “Alignment with Standards” table for details regarding how “Space Station!” and its associated classroom extensions, meet specific national standards of learning. What you will see in the “Space Station” program: • How astronauts train • What it is like to live and work in Space aboard the International Space Station (ISS) Things to look for when watching “Space Station”: • Notice how quickly astronauts adapt to free fall conditions and life on the ISS • Reasons humans go to the cost, risk, and effort to work in Space • The importance of “the little things” in keeping astronauts productive so far from home Learning Elaboration While Visiting the National Air and Space Museum Perhaps the first stop to expand on your “Space Station” experience should be the Skylab Orbiting Laboratory, entered from the second floor overlooking the Space Race Gallery. Skylab was America’s first space station, launched in 1973 and visited by three different three-man crews. It fell back to Earth in 1979. The Skylab on display was the back-up for the Skylab that was launched; the Skylab program was cancelled before it was
  • A Brief History of LRD

    A Brief History of LRD

    A Brief History of LRD The beginning of U.S. manned spaceflight landing and recovery was in Project Mercury when Bob Gilruth asked Bob Thompson, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, to work recovery operations for the Space Task Group (STG) at Langley Research Center. 1 On November 5, 1958, the STG under Gilruth had been formed at Langley in Virginia to plan and implement Project Mercury to put a man in space. In September 1961, NASA selected Houston as the site for a new facility, and the STG was redesignated the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in November. STG personnel began relocation to Houston in October 1961 in leased office space while awaiting completion of MSC at Clear Lake. When the NASA operations contingent moved to Houston, there was an Operations Division headed up by Chris Kraft. Within the Operations Division, there were several branches of which two, the Recovery Branch and the Operational Test and Evaluation Branch, were responsible for everything concerning the safe recovery of spacecraft and crew and the interface between NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) for the military support of recoveries. Moving with Bob Thompson to Houston were STG recovery personnel: Don Cheatham, Pete Armitage, Bill Hayes, John Graham, John Stonesifer, Easy Harrin, Hal Granger, Leon Hodge, Milt Windler, Enoch Jones, Walt Hoggard, Charles Tynan, and Ed Bullock. In November 1963, Gilruth reorganized MSC into seven directorates, and within the Flight Operations Directorate headed by Chris Kraft was the Recovery Operations Division headed by Bob Thompson. 2,3 The new division was located in the Houston Petroleum Center (HPC) office complex on the Gulf Freeway (I-45) just south of Wayside Drive.