Andrew Yee[_1_]
April 22nd 08, 10:29 PM
Applied Physics Laboratory
Johns Hopkins University
Laurel, Maryland
Media Contacts:
J. Huergo
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
240-228-5618 or 443-778-5618
April 18, 2008
Design Begins on Twin Probes that Will Study the Radiation Belts
NASA will launch two identical probes into the radiation belts to provide
unprecedented insight into the physical dynamics of near-Earth space, where
violent space weather can affect astronauts, satellites and even
ground-based technologies.
Researchers and engineers at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics
Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., and a number of other institutions have
begun detailed design of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission (RBSP).
APL will build and operate the twin probes, which are scheduled for a 2011
launch and a primary mission of two years.
"We're excited to move into the detailed planning, or Phase B of the
mission," said Rick Fitzgerald, RBSP project manager at APL. "The Laboratory
has a long-standing history in radiation science, so it's a natural fit for
us to be building these two spacecraft to investigate how the radiation
belts are created and change over time."
The radiation belts are two donut-shaped regions encircling Earth, where
high-energy particles are trapped by the planet's magnetic field. Most
Earth-orbiting spacecraft pass through the belts, and when the energy and
density of the particles increases, it becomes more likely that an astronaut
or spacecraft will be affected.
High-energy particles striking human tissue can alter the chemical bonds
within cells, damaging or destroying them. When a particle strikes a
satellite, it can overwhelm sensors, damage solar cells and degrade wiring
and other sensitive electronics. Large changes in the magnetic field near
Earth's surface associated with space weather storms can induce currents
that flow through -- and affect the operation of -- railroad systems, power
transmission lines and pipelines.
The RBSP mission seeks to resolve decades-old scientific mysteries of how
these particles become energized to such high levels, and how the radiation
belts vary so dramatically with changing conditions on the sun.
"The radiation belts were a scientific curiosity when they were discovered
50 years ago by James Van Allen, who was one of the founding members of
APL," said Barry Mauk, project scientist for RBSP. "But the belts are
becoming very important because we have people and machines operating in
them. That region of space is now part of our technology infrastructure. If
we can understand the radiation belt environment and its variability, we can
apply this knowledge to improve our spacecraft operation and system design,
mission planning and astronaut safety."
The probes will measure the particles, waves, and magnetic and electric
fields that fill near-Earth space to improve our understanding of how the
sun's changing energy flow affects them.These observations will help
researchers understand how charged particles are energized at Earth, but
also the processes that create particle radiation throughout the universe in
stars, interplanetary space and distant nebulae.
These observations will also help researchers develop various models for the
radiation belts that will be used by engineers to design radiation-hardened
spacecraft, and by forecasters to predict space weather phenomena and alert
astronauts and spacecraft operators to potential hazards.
"We're now moving from figuring out what we're going to build to how we're
going to build it," said APL's Doug Eng, RBSP's system engineer. "Our
biggest technical challenge is to develop observatories that can survive the
severe radiation belt environment for a two-year mission. RBSP operates in
a place most spacecraft missions want to avoid."
The instruments will be provided by broad teams managed by Boston
University, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, New Jersey
Institute of Technology and the National Reconnaissance Office.
The RBSP Mission is part of NASA's Living With a Star Geospace program in
the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate. The program
explores fundamental processes that operate throughout the solar system, in
particular those that generate hazardous space weather effects near Earth
and phenomena that could affect solar system exploration. The Living With a
Star program is managed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt,
Md.
The Applied Physics Laboratory, a division of The Johns Hopkins University,
meets critical national challenges through the innovative application of
science and technology. For more information, visit
http://www.jhuapl.edu
For more information on the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, visit
http://rbsp.jhuapl.edu
Johns Hopkins University
Laurel, Maryland
Media Contacts:
J. Huergo
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
240-228-5618 or 443-778-5618
April 18, 2008
Design Begins on Twin Probes that Will Study the Radiation Belts
NASA will launch two identical probes into the radiation belts to provide
unprecedented insight into the physical dynamics of near-Earth space, where
violent space weather can affect astronauts, satellites and even
ground-based technologies.
Researchers and engineers at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics
Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., and a number of other institutions have
begun detailed design of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission (RBSP).
APL will build and operate the twin probes, which are scheduled for a 2011
launch and a primary mission of two years.
"We're excited to move into the detailed planning, or Phase B of the
mission," said Rick Fitzgerald, RBSP project manager at APL. "The Laboratory
has a long-standing history in radiation science, so it's a natural fit for
us to be building these two spacecraft to investigate how the radiation
belts are created and change over time."
The radiation belts are two donut-shaped regions encircling Earth, where
high-energy particles are trapped by the planet's magnetic field. Most
Earth-orbiting spacecraft pass through the belts, and when the energy and
density of the particles increases, it becomes more likely that an astronaut
or spacecraft will be affected.
High-energy particles striking human tissue can alter the chemical bonds
within cells, damaging or destroying them. When a particle strikes a
satellite, it can overwhelm sensors, damage solar cells and degrade wiring
and other sensitive electronics. Large changes in the magnetic field near
Earth's surface associated with space weather storms can induce currents
that flow through -- and affect the operation of -- railroad systems, power
transmission lines and pipelines.
The RBSP mission seeks to resolve decades-old scientific mysteries of how
these particles become energized to such high levels, and how the radiation
belts vary so dramatically with changing conditions on the sun.
"The radiation belts were a scientific curiosity when they were discovered
50 years ago by James Van Allen, who was one of the founding members of
APL," said Barry Mauk, project scientist for RBSP. "But the belts are
becoming very important because we have people and machines operating in
them. That region of space is now part of our technology infrastructure. If
we can understand the radiation belt environment and its variability, we can
apply this knowledge to improve our spacecraft operation and system design,
mission planning and astronaut safety."
The probes will measure the particles, waves, and magnetic and electric
fields that fill near-Earth space to improve our understanding of how the
sun's changing energy flow affects them.These observations will help
researchers understand how charged particles are energized at Earth, but
also the processes that create particle radiation throughout the universe in
stars, interplanetary space and distant nebulae.
These observations will also help researchers develop various models for the
radiation belts that will be used by engineers to design radiation-hardened
spacecraft, and by forecasters to predict space weather phenomena and alert
astronauts and spacecraft operators to potential hazards.
"We're now moving from figuring out what we're going to build to how we're
going to build it," said APL's Doug Eng, RBSP's system engineer. "Our
biggest technical challenge is to develop observatories that can survive the
severe radiation belt environment for a two-year mission. RBSP operates in
a place most spacecraft missions want to avoid."
The instruments will be provided by broad teams managed by Boston
University, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, New Jersey
Institute of Technology and the National Reconnaissance Office.
The RBSP Mission is part of NASA's Living With a Star Geospace program in
the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate. The program
explores fundamental processes that operate throughout the solar system, in
particular those that generate hazardous space weather effects near Earth
and phenomena that could affect solar system exploration. The Living With a
Star program is managed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt,
Md.
The Applied Physics Laboratory, a division of The Johns Hopkins University,
meets critical national challenges through the innovative application of
science and technology. For more information, visit
http://www.jhuapl.edu
For more information on the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, visit
http://rbsp.jhuapl.edu