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Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: WDC-A R&S Launch Announcement 12979: STS 88, SAT MEX 5, SWAS
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COSPAR/ISES
WORLD WARNING AGENCY FOR SATELLITES
WORLD DATA CENTER-A FOR R & S, NASA/GSFC
CODE 633, GREENBELT, MARYLAND, 20771. USA
SPACEWARN 12979
COSPAR/WWAS USSPACECOM NUMBER
SPACECRAFT INTERNATIONAL ID (CATALOG NUMBER) LAUNCH DATE,UT
STS 88 1998-069A 25549 04 DECEMBER 1998
SAT MEX 5 1998-070A 25558 06 DECEMBER 1998
SWAS 1998-071A 25560 06 DECEMBER 1998
DR. JOSEPH H. KING, DIRECTOR, WDC-A-R&S.
[PH: (301) 286 7355.
E-MAIL: KING@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV
07 DECEMBER 1998 13:30 UT]
Further details will be in a forthcoming SPACEWARN Bulletin
Dr. Edwin V. Bell, II
_/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/ Mail Code 633
_/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ NASA Goddard Space
_/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ Flight Center
_/ _/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Greenbelt, MD 20771
_/ _/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/ +1-301-286-1187
ed.bell@gsfc.nasa.gov
SPACEWARN home page: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacewarn/
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: British Astronomer Defends Manned Space Flight (Forwarded)
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Royal Astronomical Society Press Notice
Date: 5 December 1998
For immediate release
Ref. PN 98/27
Issued by:
Dr Jacqueline Mitton
RAS Public Relations Officer
Office & home phone: Cambridge ((0)1223) 564914
FAX: Cambridge ((0)1223) 572892
E-mail: jmitton@dial.pipex.com
British Astronomer Defends Manned Space Flight
Dr Ian Crawford, an astronomer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
at University College London, has spoken out in defence of manned spaced
flight. As the successful launches of the first two sections of the
International Space Station (ISS) re-open public and scientific debate on
the value of manned activity in space, Dr Crawford, writing in the December
issue of the Royal Astronomical Society's journal 'Astronomy and
Geophysics', argues that the search for new scientific knowledge will
benefit greatly from the development of human spaceflight infrastructure.
Dr Crawford says, "Many scientists are sceptical about the suggested
scientific applications of the ISS itself, but considerable advantages are
likely to follow from an ability to assemble large structures in space, such
as large space telescopes, lunar and planetary outposts, and eventually,
interstellar space probes. The study of both the Moon and Mars would benefit
from human exploration, especially the search for past life on Mars."
The full text of Dr Crawford's article can be found at the following web
site:
http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~iac/spaceflight.html
To contact Dr Crawford:
Phone: 0171-419-3431
Fax: 0171-380-7145
e-mail: iac@star.ucl.ac.uk
NOTE
The views expressed in Dr Crawford's article are his own. Neither
publication in 'Astronomy and Geophysics', nor the issue of this information
note to the media, implies endorsement by the Royal Astronomical Society.
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: First Space Battlelab initiative may save $1 million (Forwarded)
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Air Force Space Command News Service
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 02, 1998
First Space Battlelab initiative may save $1 million
SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.(AFSPCNS) -- Air Force Space Command's
Space Battlelab recently demonstrated that an inexpensive commercial
telescope could save the Air Force up to $1 million or more.
The 16-inch telescope is smaller and cheaper than the current Space
Surveillance Network and is capable of providing accurate deep space
tracking data that could augment SSN.
This new capability, dubbed Space Surveillance Network Optical
Augmentation, will consist of a series of smaller, unmanned observation
sites that will support the four, fully manned SSN stations around the
world that are owned and operated by the Air Force.
"The greatest benefit of SOA is that when a manned SSN becomes inoperable
due to weather or maintenance, SOA will keep our deep space satellites in
sight," said project spokesman Maj. Walt Andress.
The decision to fund SOA is currently being evaluated at Headquarters, Air
Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
The Space Battlelab develops and tests the most innovative military space
concepts in the world and currently has 12 other projects underway. SOA
marks the Battlelab's first completed endeavor.
For more information on the Space Battlelab go to their web site at:
http://www.fafb.af.mil/battlelab.
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: New View Of Mars' North Pole Reported In Science
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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 6 DECEMBER 1998 AT 16:00:00 ET US
Contact: Gabriel Paal
gpaal@aaas.org
202-326-6421
New View Of Mars' North Pole Reported In Science
Washington D.C. - Thanks to a new set of topographical
measurements from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, the surface
features at Mars' north pole are now better known, on average,
than some parts of Greenland and Antarctica. The data provide a
different and far more detailed picture of the martian north pole
than ever seen before and imply that the ice cap not only is
smaller than previously thought, but also sits within a depression
on the planet. Any water in the region should therefore flow
towards the pole rather than the equator, a finding which
seemingly runs counter to the prevailing view of polar water flow
on Mars--and should thus prompt a rethinking of the planet's
global hydrological cycle. These results and others, which have
implications for understanding seasonal and long-term climate
change on Mars, are reported in the 11 December issue of Science
and will be announced at a news conference at the annual meeting
of the American Geophysical Union on Sunday, 6 November.
Although Mars' icy temperatures and its dry, apparently lifeless
surfaces are very different from conditions on Earth, Mars'
climate is more closely related to Earth's than any other planet
in the solar system. The fate of water on Mars is key to
understanding the planet's evolution and how the differences
between the two planets have come about. The north polar ice cap
is one of Mars' largest present-day reservoirs of water and other
"volatile" substances (which evaporate easily).
Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her
colleagues used elevation measurements taken by the Mars Orbiter
Laser Altimeter (MOLA) on the Mars Global Surveyor to construct a
precise topographic map of the martian north polar region. The
results are hundreds of times more accurate than earlier
measurements.
Like an ice cube at the bottom of a bowl, the north polar ice cap
appears to be nestled within a depression in Mars' surface that is
much wider than previously thought. Therefore any liquid water
that might exist in an aquifer just below the surface should flow
towards the pole rather than the equator, as was previously
assumed. Until now, researchers have proposed that ice cap
meltwater flowing below ground towards lower latitudes could play
a significant role in the planet's global hydrological cycle, but
according to the MOLA data this does not seem to be the case. The
ice cap also appears to be smaller than earlier measurements had
indicated.
Other observations from the MOLA data also shed light on the
global water, or hydrological, cycle and climate change on Mars.
The ice cap appears to be smaller now than it was in previous, and
probably colder, times. The authors found a series of alternating
bright and dark bands at the edges of the cap, a record of ice and
dust deposits that should reflect changes in the seasons and
longer-term climate patterns. The ice cap is also cut by deep
canyons and spiral troughs. These features are unlike any found on
Earth's ice sheets, but are probably formed by wind-related
processes. MOLA also detected the presence of carbon dioxide
clouds, which probably condense out of the martian atmosphere in
cold winter temperatures.
Identifying the ice cap's volume is an important step in figuring
out the total abundance of water presently on Mars. Based on their
data, the authors estimate that the ice cap's volume is less than
half of the ice volume on Greenland.
A news conference will take place at 12:15 p.m., Sunday, 6
December, at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union
at the Moscone Convention Center, Room 112, 747 Howard Street, San
Francisco, CA. Copies of the paper and related visuals will be
available at the news conference and in the Press Room, Room 111.
Dr. Zuber will be presenting the paper at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, 6
December.
###
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Laser provides first 3-D view of Mars' north pole (Forwarded)
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Douglas Isbell
Headquarters December 6, 1998
Washington, DC
(Phone: 202/358-1547)
Cynthia M. O'Carroll
Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD
(Phone: 301/614-5563)
Diane Ainsworth
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA
(Phone: 818/354-5011)
RELEASE NO: 98-209 (HQ 98-219)
LASER PROVIDES FIRST 3-D VIEW OF MARS' NORTH POLE
Measurements by a laser altimeter instrument orbiting aboard NASA's Mars
Global Surveyor spacecraft are providing striking new views of the north
pole of the red planet and the processes that have shaped it.
This first three-dimensional picture of Mars' north pole enables scientists
to estimate the volume of its water ice cap with unprecedented precision,
and to study its surface variations and the heights of clouds in the region
for the first time.
The elevation measurements were collected by the Mars Orbiter Laser
Altimeter (MOLA) aboard Global Surveyor during the spring and summer of
1998, as the spacecraft orbited Mars in an interim elliptical orbit. MOLA
sends laser pulses toward the planet and measures the precise amount of time
before the reflected signals are received back at the instrument. From this
data, scientists can infer surface and cloud heights.
Approximately 2.6 million of these laser pulse measurements were assembled
into a topographic grid of the north pole with a spatial resolution of .6
miles (one kilometer) and a vertical accuracy of 15-90 feet (5-30 meters). A
peer-reviewed paper based on the measure-ments will be published in the Dec.
11 issue of Science magazine.
The topographic map reveals that the ice cap is about 750 miles (1,200
kilometers) across, with a maximum thickness of 1.8 miles (3 kilometers).
The cap is cut by canyons and troughs that plunge to as deep as 0.6 miles (1
kilometer) beneath the surface.
"Similar features do not occur on any glacial or polar terrain on Earth,"
said Dr. Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. "They appear to be carved by
wind and evaporation of ice."
The MOLA data also reveal that large areas of the ice cap are extremely
smooth, with elevations that vary by only a few feet over many miles. In
some areas the ice cap is surrounded by large mounds of ice, tens of miles
across and up to half a mile in height. "These structures appear to be
remnants of the cap from a time when it was larger than at present," Zuber
said. Impact craters surrounding the cap appear to be filled with ice and
dust that was either deposited by wind or condensation, or perhaps remains
from an earlier period when the ice cap was larger.
The shape of the polar cap indicates that it is composed primarily of water
ice, with a volume of 300,000 cubic miles (1.2 million cubic kilometers).
The cap has an average thickness of 0.64 miles (1.03 kilometers) and covers
an area 1.5 times the size of Texas. For comparison, the volume of the
Martian north polar cap is less than half that of the Greenland ice cap, and
about four percent of the Antarctic ice sheet.
The estimated volume of the north ice cap is about 10 times less than the
minimum volume of an ancient ocean that some scientists believe once
existed on Mars. If a large body of water once existed on the red planet, the
remainder of the water must presently be stored below the surface and in the
much smaller south polar cap, or have been lost to space. Current models of
Martian evolution do not easily explain such a large amount of
unaccounted-for water.
During its mapping of the north polar cap, the MOLA instrument also made the
first direct measurement of cloud heights on the red planet. Reflections
from the atmosphere were obtained at altitudes from just above the surface
to more than nine miles (approximately 15 kilometers) on about 80 percent of
the laser profiles. Most clouds were observed at high latitudes, at the
boundary of the ice cap and surrounding terrain.
Clouds observed over the polar cap are likely composed of carbon dioxide
that condenses out of the atmosphere during northern hemisphere winter. Many
clouds exhibit dynamic structure probably caused by winds interacting with
surface topography, much as occurs on Earth when winds collide with
mountains to produce turbulence.
The principal investigator for MOLA is Dr. David E. Smith of Goddard. The
MOLA instrument was designed and built by the Laser Remote Sensing Branch of
Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics at Goddard. The Mars Global Surveyor
Mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for
the NASA Office of Space Science.
Further information about MOLA and images created from its measurements of
the north pole are available on the Internet at:
http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html
A color image of the north pole from the camera aboard Mars Global Surveyor
is available at:
http://www.msss.com/mars/global_surveyor/camera/images/
MENUS/poles_list.html
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: When the Sun "sneezes", ACE takes its temperature (Forwarded)
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William Steigerwald
Goddard Space Flight Center December 6, 1998
Greenbelt, MD
(301) 286-5017
RELEASE NO: 98-210
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 6, 1998 AT 11:05 A.M. PST
WHEN THE SUN "SNEEZES," ACE TAKES ITS TEMPERATURE
For the first time, scientists are able to accurately determine the
temperature of individual solar "sneezes," small explosions on the Sun
called impulsive solar flares. The researchers used NASA's Advanced
Composition Explorer spacecraft to observe a series of flares of this type
in August, 1998.
"These measurements are a first step to understanding how solar flares
accelerate particles from the Sun to extremely high velocities," said Dr.
Eberhard Moebius of the University of New Hampshire, who will present the
research December 6 at the Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union
in San Francisco, Calif.
"These flares are relatively modest, compared to a typical solar flare.
Before ACE, we had to average over a group of them to get a temperature
estimate," added Dr. Joseph Mazur of the Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo,
Calif., a contributor to the research.
The Solar Energetic Particle Ionic Charge Analyzer (SEPICA) instrument on
board ACE derived the flare temperature by measuring the electric charge on
high speed atoms shot from the flares. At high temperatures, electrons can
be removed from atoms, giving the atoms a positive electric charge and
allowing magnetic fields present in flares to accelerate them to high
speeds. As temperatures rise, atoms lose more electrons until they have
none left, a condition known as completely "stripped."
"The atoms of various elements detected, from hydrogen to silicon, had been
completely stripped, and iron was almost fully stripped. This corresponds to
a flare temperature of about 18 million degrees Fahrenheit, much hotter than
the surface of the Sun, which is only 10,000 degrees," said Mazur.
"In the past, very often we were not sure whether these energetic particles
came directly from solar flares or were accelerated between the Sun and the
Earth. With the ACE payload, we have the means to exactly time their arrival
and hence, infer the acceleration site, even for these very interesting
small flares," said Moebius.
"Exactly how magnetic fields within flares accelerate particles and release
energy is unknown. Strange things happen in them. For example, for some
reason, impulsive solar flares prefer to accelerate helium 3 atoms. The
concentration of helium 3, a rare isotope of helium, in matter ejected from
these flares is as much as 1,000 times greater than its average
concentration throughout the rest of the Universe," said Moebius.
As atoms lose electrons, they become electrically charged particles known as
ions. Ions respond to magnetic fields; after their acceleration in a flare,
they rush along invisible magnetic field lines extending from the Sun into
interplanetary space, like race cars confined to a track. The Ultra Low
Energy Isotope Spectrometer (ULEIS) instrument on ACE has identified many of
these small flares when particles arrive directly along the interplanetary
magnetic field lines (see the figure referenced at the end of this release).
"The sensitive particle detectors on ACE tell us details about the
interplanetary magnetic field. If the field were uniform, showers of
particles from different flares would all last about the same time,
approximately a day or so as the slower particles trail the fast ones.
Occasionally, however, we see a particle shower from one flare suddenly
'turn off', while the shower from a different flare continues unaffected
(see the figure referenced at the end of this press release, events # 5 &
6). Apparently some unknown feature of the interplanetary magnetic field
must have severed the magnetic pathway between one of the events and ACE
without severing the other. ACE provides another tool for diagnosing the
structure of this unseen field," said Mazur. "The sensitive instruments on
board ACE allow us to observe these events with a clarity and precision that
has never been achieved before. As observations accumulate, hopefully we can
unravel the mysteries of solar flares," said Mazur.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Images to support this story may be found on the internet at:
FTP://PAO.GSFC.NASA.GOV/newsmedia/ACE
For more information about ACE, visit:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/ace/ace.html
For more information about solar flares and their effects on Earth, visit:
http://www.sel.noaa.gov/primer/primer.html
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: The first El Nino observed and forecasted from start to finish: What w
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Lynn Chandler
Goddard Space Flight Center Dec. 6, 1998
Greenbelt, MD
(301) 614-5562
1 (888) 474-0912 (pager)
John Leslie/NOAA
1 (800) 759-888 Pin # 1140197 (pager)
RELEASE NO. 98-206
THE FIRST EL NINO OBSERVED AND FORECASTED FROM START TO FINISH: WHAT WAS
LEARNED?
For the first time in history, scientists around the world were able to
observe a major climate event from the earliest stages of development
through decline. These observations have brought 1) unprecedented insight
into El Nino; 2) research data that will take years to analyze and 3) the
opportunity to issue valuable predictions.
The 1997-1998 El Nino "event of the century" was the best monitored and the
first ever predicted El Nino on record, according to NASA and National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists who are presenting
joint papers at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco
tomorrow.
Dr. Antonio Busalacchi, a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center scientist,
reported that "the 1997-1998 El Nino will be the first time a major El Nino
event and subsequent La Nina will have been observed globally from start to
finish."
Following the last strong El Nino in 1982-1983, the international science
community deployed an extensive surface observing system in the tropical
Pacific Ocean in support of monitoring and predicting El Nino.
In addition, within the past 10 years, a series of oceans and atmospheric
remote sensing satellites have been launched that supplement and enhance the
observations being taken at the surface, and at depth, of the equatorial
Pacific Ocean. These global observations have provided unprecedented
information on sea surface temperature, sea surface topography, sea surface
winds, ocean color and precipitation.
"The observations of the climate system, combined with sophisticated
ocean-atmosphere prediction models, and the science communities increased
understanding of the atmospheric response, led to an incredibly bold
forecast of El Nino nearly six months prior to the onset of the major
impacts," said Dr. Ants Leetmaa, NOAA scientist. "Working with the emergency
management community and other users we were able to start applying the
forecasts for practical use and widespread education about climate
variability. With this event, we were light years ahead of the last major El
Nino."
Leetmaa added, "NOAA learned that the impacts of El Nino are typically
communicated through changes in the number and intensity of storms in areas
that make up the midlatitudes, such as the United States." As a result, he
said, "the El Nino phenomenon sets the stage for more extreme weather
events."
Beyond the impacts on U.S. and global weather patterns, the observation
system also provided unprecedented insight on the impact of El Nino on
marine life. The observations of the marine environment for the first time
have shown how the physical climate system during El Nino obliterated the
lowest levels of the marine ecosystem and subsequent impacts at higher
levels in the food chain, said Busalacchi.
Among the lessons learned to date from the 1997-1998 event have been the
need for the global observations in addition to just those in the equatorial
Pacific Ocean and the need for more regionally specific forecast tools,
added Leetmaa and Busalacchi.
The experience of the 1997-1998 El Nino has illustrated the global scale of
the El Nino phenomenon and its impacts. "Today's El Nino monitoring system,
coupled with ocean-atmosphere models, and scientific understanding are
capable of giving three to nine month advance warning of significant shifts
in global precipitation and temperature patterns" said Busalacchi. "It has
also demonstrated the need to refine such forecasts to regional scales and
revealed where additional observations are needed."
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center monitors, analyzes and predicts climate
events for the entire nation -- from weeks to seasons, NOAA operates the
network of data bouys and satellitles that provide vital information about
the ocean and intitiates research projects to improve future climate
forecasts.
NASA's El Nino research is part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, a
long-term research program designed to study the Earth?s land, oceans, air
ice and life as a total system.
For information about El Nino, please visit:
http://nic.fb4.noaa.gov/index.html
http://nsipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/enso/
For images visit:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/~gshirah/nino/
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: NASA monitors smog pollution from tropical fires (Forwarded)
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Lynn Chandler
Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD
(301) 614-5562 December 7, 1998
1 (888) 474-0912 (pager)
RELEASE NO: 98-207
NASA MONITORS SMOG POLLUTION FROM TROPICAL FIRES
For the first time, real-time maps of tropospheric ozone levels in the
tropics are available to the world.
NASA researcher Dr. Anne Thompson and her colleague, Dr. Robert Hudson,
University of Maryland, and their graduate student, Hua Guo have developed a
new technique for retrieving near ground levels of ozone.
Using NASA?s Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), tropical ozone
pollution from large fires now can be tracked at the same time as smoke,
dust and UV exposure. "Using a single sensor for multiple products instead
of piecing together data from multiple sensors is more accurate," said
Thompson, an atmospheric scientist at NASA?s Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, MD. "TOMS already obtains images of the amount of smoke present
in the atmosphere anywhere in the world. We?re just adding another element
by applying a new algorithm."
Scientists have a special interest in smoke aerosols caused by fires because
smoke contributes to the overall global air-pollution levels than can impact
the quality of air that humans breathe. They also want to monitor smoke from
large fires which could contribute to global climate change.
The public and government now can follow what policy makers call
"trans-boundary pollution" in which pollution sources -- urban and fire --
over one country create ozone pollution over their neighbors or even far away.
Indonesia fires sent smoke and ozone pollution to highly populated areas in
Malaysia.
Ozone from African savanna fires ends up over the Atlantic, the Pacific and
even Brazil. Brazilian fires lead to ozone over the Atlantic and Pacific.
Since the beginning of the Mexican fires in March and April of 1998, NASA
atmospheric researchers closely monitored the smoke aerosols emitted from
the fires with NASA?s TOMS. The smoke was thick enough that it was easily
visible on the ground and resembled a light haze to medium fog in parts of
Texas, Georgia, and Florida. On April 16 the smoke plume extended across the
Eastern U.S., passing through Ohio, and into southern Canada.
"The ability to have multiple products, UV, smoke, and tropospheric ozone
from a single sensor, is very attractive," said P. K. Bhartia, TOMS Project
Scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center. "This now truly puts us on the
threshold of the EOS (Earth Observing System) era where we?ll have
integrated spacecraft doing many things."
By 2000, the EOS AM-1 spacecraft will add carbon monoxide, a key ingredient
in tropospheric ozone formation and a major product of large fires, to the
list of chemicals that can be followed from space.
The small particles that comprise smoke, called aerosols, can affect the
amount of energy reaching the Earth?s surface by reflecting and/or absorbing
sunlight. Smoke aerosols also can affect clouds by acting as small particles
(condensation nuclei) upon which clouds can form. Clouds containing smoke
aerosols are believed to reflect and absorb energy in different ways than
clouds formed from other particles such as dust or sea salt.
The impact of the 1997-1998 tropical fires from El Nino shows that a record
high of tropospheric ozone (the "bad ozone" or "smog" of pollution) was a
product of the fires that followed the drought of the 1997 El Nino. The
normal progression of ozone from biomass burning -- both seasonal
agricultural burning over Africa that happens each year, followed by South
American savanna and slash-and-burn/deforestation -- was dramatically
altered as Indonesian fires built up in late August and peak in September
and October 1997.
The NASA-developed TOMS instrument, which measures ozone indirectly by
monitoring ultraviolet light scattered by the atmosphere, also produces
daily maps of the global distribution of ozone in Earth?s atmosphere and of
the surface UV. TOMS is part of NASA?s Earth Science Enterprise, a long-term
research program designed to study the Earth?s land, oceans, air, ice and
life as a total system. The TOMS program is managed by Goddard for NASA?s
Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC.
See images at:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov:2001/imagewall/UARS/trop_ozone.html
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: New Galileo Images Show Closeup Of Fault On Europa
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MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact: Jane Platt
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 7, 1998
EUROPA FAULT GIVES CALIFORNIA'S SAN ANDREAS A RUN FOR ITS MONEY
New pictures from NASA's Galileo spacecraft show a closeup
view of a fault, or fracture, on Jupiter's icy moon Europa that
stretches as long as the California segment of the infamous San
Andreas fault.
The Europan fault, known as Astypalaea Linea (pronounced
ast-ipp-uh-LAY-uh LINN-ee-uh) was first discovered in 1996 when
Dr. Randy Tufts, Galileo imaging team affiliate and research
associate at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, reviewed
distant images taken years earlier by NASA's Voyager spacecraft.
The new mosaic of Galileo images released today captures a 290-
kilometer-long (180-mile) portion of the fault in Europa's icy
surface. Scientists calculate its full length at about 810
kilometers (more than 500 miles), about the same distance as the
part of the San Andreas fault that runs from the
California-Mexico border north to the San Francisco Bay.
"Comparisons between this Europan fault and faults on Earth
may generate ideas we can use in studying earth movements here on
our planet," said Tufts. "In addition, Astypalaea Linea is
simply a beautiful structure."
The new Galileo images show that about 50 kilometers (more
than 30 miles) of movement, or "displacement," has taken place
along the fault, which is located near Europa's South Pole.
Bends in the fault have allowed the surface to be pulled apart as
this movement took place along Astypalaea Linea, which is the
largest known strike-slip fault on Europa and one of the largest
strike-slip faults known to exist anywhere. A strike-slip fault
is one in which two crustal blocks move horizontally past one
another, somewhat like two opposing traffic lanes.
This pulling-apart along the fault's bends created openings
through which warmer, softer ice from below Europa's brittle ice
shell surface, or frozen water from a possible subsurface ocean,
could reach the surface. This upwelling of material formed large
areas of new ice within the boundaries of the original fault. A
similar pulling-apart phenomenon can be observed in the
geological trough surrounding California's Salton Sea, and in
Death Valley and the Dead Sea. However, in those cases, the
pulled-apart regions can include upwelled materials, but may be
mostly composed of sedimentary and erosional material deposited
from above.
Tufts believes Astypalaea Linea is probably no longer
active, because large ridges formed more recently crosscut it
without interruption. Opposite sides of the fault can be
reconstructed in puzzle-like fashion, matching the shape of its
sides as well as individual older lined areas that had been
broken by its movements. The overall motion along the fault seems
to have followed a continuous narrow break along the entire
length of the feature, with a path resembling steps on a
staircase crossing the pulled-apart zones. Between the zones,
this break coincides with ridges that separate them.
Tufts and fellow University of Arizona researchers, in a
group led by Dr. Richard Greenberg, suspect that the fault motion
is induced by the pull of variable daily tides generated by
Jupiter's gravitational tug on Europa's icy crust. This tidal
effect produces a phenomenon they call "walking."
"In walking, tidal tension opens the fault, subsequent tidal
stress causes it to move lengthwise in one direction, and then
the tidal forces close the fault up again. This prevents the
area from moving back to its original position; it may move
forward with the next daily tidal cycle," Tufts explained. "The
walking analogy describes perfectly what we think happens at the
fault, resulting in a steady accumulation of these lengthwise
offset motions. Walking may explain the appearance of many other
faults and areas of cracks and ridges on Europa."
Unlike Europa, here on Earth, large strike-slip faults such
as the San Andreas are set in motion by plate tectonic forces
from the planet's mantle. Based on the Europa findings, Tufts
said, "The data may teach us more about the detailed structure
that develops at bends in Earth's faults, including the San
Andreas."
The latest Galileo images of Astypalaea Linea are available
on the Internet at the following websites:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov
Galileo has been in orbit around Jupiter and its moons for
the past three years. Its primary mission ended in December 1997,
and the spacecraft is currently in the midst of a two-year
extension known as the Galileo Europa Mission. Galileo is managed
by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL
is a division of Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
For information about animation of Astypalaea Linea, contact
the JPL Media Relations Office at (818) 354-5011.
#####
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Launch Of One Mars Mission And Results From Another Featured On NASA T
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Douglas Isbell
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC December 7, 1998
(Phone: 202/358-1547)
George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, FL
(Phone: 407/867-2468)
Frank O'Donnell
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
(Phone: 818/354-5011)
RELEASE: N98-70
LAUNCH OF ONE MARS MISSION AND RESULTS FROM ANOTHER
FEATURED THIS WEEK
The first of two upcoming launches of NASA's 1998 Mars
Surveyor missions, and exciting scientific findings from the
Agency's current Mars mission will be featured this week on NASA
Television.
NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft is scheduled for
launch aboard a Boeing Delta 2 launch vehicle on Thursday,
December 10.
The day before this launch, on December 9, the lead scientist
for the camera aboard the NASA spacecraft currently in orbit
around the red planet, Mars Global Surveyor, will discuss the Top
10 images returned to Earth so far by that mission, including
several new releases.
Today and tomorrow, the NASA TV Video File will feature
replays of the first three-dimensional visualizations of the north
pole of Mars, based on data from the laser altimeter aboard the
Global Surveyor, released Sunday, December 6, at the American
Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. These data have
enabled scientists to estimate the volume of its water ice cap
with unprecedented precision, and to study its surface variations
and the heights of clouds in the region for the first time.
The Mars Climate Orbiter has two launch opportunities on
December 10.
The first target opportunity is at 1:56:38 p.m. EST. A second
opportunity at 3:02:23 p.m. EST is available if necessary.
Liftoff will occur from Pad A at Launch Complex 17 on Cape
Canaveral Air Station, FL.
When it first arrives at the red planet, Mars Climate Orbiter
will be used primarily to support its companion Mars Polar Lander
spacecraft, planned for launch on Jan. 3, 1999. After that, the
Climate Orbiter's instruments will monitor the Martian atmosphere
and image
the planet's surface on a daily basis for one Martian year, the
equivalent of two Earth years. During this time, the spacecraft
will observe the circulation of atmospheric dust and water vapor,
as well as characterize seasonal changes on the surface.
A prelaunch news conference is scheduled for Wednesday,
December 9, at 11 a. m. EST in the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
News Center auditorium and will be carried live on NASA TV.
Following this briefing, the NASA TV Video File at Noon EST will
feature animation and video footage of the Mars Climate Orbiter
mission and the images from the press briefing to follow.
This 12:30 p.m. EST press briefing at KSC will feature the
Top 10 images of Mars returned by the camera aboard Global
Surveyor. Participants in this briefing will be Dr. Michael
Malin, Principal Investigator for the camera, from Malin Space
Science Systems, San Diego, and Joe Boyce, 1998 Mars Surveyor
Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Those media without permanent accreditation who wish to cover
the launch of Mars Climate Orbiter, including the prelaunch news
conference, should send a letter of request to the NASA KSC News
Center on news organization letterhead. It should include name
and Social Security number or passport number. Letters should be
faxed to 407/867-2692.
NASA Television is available on GE-2, transponder 9C,
located at 85 degrees West longitude, with vertical polarization.
Frequency is 3880.0 megahertz, with audio on 6.8 megahertz.
STS-88 mission events may preclude live TV coverage of some
Mars Climate Orbiter launch activities; in that case, launch
footage will be replayed as soon as mission events allow. Audio
only of Mars Climate Orbiter events will also be available on the
"V" circuits, which may be dialed directly at 407/867-1260,
407/867-7135, 407/867-4003, 407/867-4920.
The NASA KSC codaphone will carry Mars Climate Orbiter prelaunch
status reports beginning on Monday, December 7, and may be dialed
at 407/867-2525
-end-
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: This Week On Galileo - December 7-13, 1998
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THIS WEEK ON GALILEO
December 7-13, 1998
This week the Galileo flight team will send a new set of commands to
the spacecraft to conduct real-time and recorded science. These new
activities will take advantage of Deep Space Network (DSN) antenna time
which was originally intended for playback of science data from Galileo's
most recent flyby of Europa on November 22. The majority of these data were
not recorded on the spacecraft, because it suffered two anomalies and on-board
software halted execution of the encounter commands. On Thursday, in
addition to these new activities, the spacecraft performs regular
maintenance on its propulsion systems.
Three observations will be recorded on the spacecraft's on-board tape
recorder this week. In the first observation the spacecraft camera
takes images of Saturn's moon Titan, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The
data retrieved from this observation will be used to calibrate some of
the camera's filters. In the second, the near-infrared mapping
spectrometer looks at the star Sirius. This data will also be used for
instrument calibration.
Finally, the fields and particles instruments will collect recorded
data for five hours as the spacecraft moves through the center of a
region known as the plasma sheet. This region lies along Jupiter's
magnetic equator, and is slightly offset from the planetary equator due
to a small tilt in Jupiter's magnetic field. Plasma, which is composed
of ionized gases that originate from Jupiter's moon Io, is strongly
concentrated in this region, allowing relatively strong electric
currents to flow. The plasma sheet crossing will occur in the duskward
part of the magnetosphere, 109 Jupiter radii (7.8 million kilometers or
4.8 million miles) from the planet. In this largely unexplored region,
Jupiter's magnetic field and the solar wind both influence the state of
the plasma sheet.
After the observations are complete, the spacecraft will begin
processing and transmission of the stored data. In addition, the
fields and particles instruments continue their survey of Jupiter's
magetosphere.
For more information on the Galileo spacecraft and its mission to
Jupiter, please visit the Galileo home page:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: TOPEX/Poseidon Finds Global Sea Level Change During El Nino
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MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact: Mary Hardin, (818) 354-0344
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 7, 1998
TOPEX/POSEIDON FINDS GLOBAL SEA LEVEL CHANGE DURING EL NINO
The 1997-98 El Nino event may have been a major contributor
in the average global sea level rising about 2 centimeters (0.8
of an inch) before it returned to normal levels, according to
scientists studying TOPEX/Poseidon satellite measurements of sea
surface height.
"This is the first time we have been able to identify that
El Nino may cause a change in average global sea level," said Dr.
R. Steven Nerem, a TOPEX/Poseidon science team member at the
Center for Space Research at the University of Texas at Austin.
"Understanding these short-term variations is important for
understanding and detecting long-term variations caused by
climate change."
"TOPEX/Poseidon measures average global sea level at 10-day
intervals with a precision of 0.4 centimeters (0.16 inches), so
detecting the 2-centimeter (0.8-inch) change associated with the
El Nino was relatively easy," Nerem said. "However, these
results tell us that detecting sea level variations caused by
climate change will be more difficult because such changes are
significantly smaller than the variations we have observed during
the El Nino."
Nerem and his colleagues are presenting their findings at
the American Geophysical Union's Fall Meeting in San Francisco
Monday, December 7.
Key to understanding the changes in the ocean are the global
maps made by TOPEX/Poseidon. The sea level rise was not confined
to the tropical Pacific, but also was observed in the Indian
Ocean and the southern Pacific. Nerem's team then calculated the
average global sea level.
"These six years of satellite data are a good start, but we
really need a decade or more of continuous measurements before we
can accurately detect any climate-induced change," said Dr. Lee-
Lueng Fu, the TOPEX/Poseidon project scientist at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA. "We need sustained
observation records to understand the variations in the ocean."
Global mean sea level change on seasonal and inter-annual
time scales is a measure of the changing heat content of the
ocean. The 2-centimeter (0.8-inch) rise during the El Nino
implies that, on average, the global ocean may be gaining heat.
"Average global sea level began rising in late March 1997,
peaked at 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) above normal in early
November 1997, and then began falling back to normal by the end
of July 1998. Sea surface temperature changes began rising in
late October 1996, peaked at 0.4 degrees C (0.7 degrees F) in
late December 1997, and fell back to 0.1 degrees C (0.2 degrees
F) at present," according to Nerem.
Developed by NASA and the French Centre National d'Etudes
Spatiales (CNES), the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite, launched in
August 1992, uses an altimeter to bounce radar signals off the
ocean's surface to get precise measurements of the distance
between the satellite and the sea surface. These data are
combined with measurements from other instruments that pinpoint
the satellite's exact location in space. Every 10 days,
scientists produce a complete map of global ocean topography, the
barely perceptible hills and valleys found on the sea surface. A
follow-on mission to TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, is scheduled for
launch in 2000.
An archive of TOPEX/Poseidon El Nino/La Nina images is
available at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/elnino
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology,
manages the TOPEX/Poseidon mission for NASA's Earth Science
Enterprise, Washington, DC. The Earth Science Enterprise will
combine measurements like those from TOPEX/Poseidon with other
information about the land, sea, air, and life on Earth to
develop a greater understanding and predictive capability of the
global environmental system.
#####
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: TOPEX/Poseidon Team To Receive Pecora Award At AGU
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MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact: Mary Hardin, (818) 354-0344
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 6, 1998
TOPEX/POSEIDON TEAM TO RECEIVE PECORA AWARD AT AGU
The TOPEX/Poseidon Team is the recipient of the 1998 William
T. Pecora award which will be presented by NASA Administrator
Daniel S. Goldin at the conclusion of his keynote address at the
American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco at 5:30
p.m. Pacific time, Sunday, December 6.
The William T. Pecora Award, sponsored jointly by the
Department of the Interior and NASA, is presented annually to
recognize outstanding contributions of individuals or groups who
study the Earth with remote sensing. The award was established in
1974 in memory of Dr. William T. Pecora, former Director of the
U.S. Geological Survey, and Under Secretary, Department of the
Interior. Pecora was a motivating force behind the establishment
of a program for civil remote sensing of the Earth from space.
His early vision and support helped establish what we know today
as the Landsat satellite program.
Charles Yamarone, the TOPEX/Poseidon Project Manager at
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Jean Louis Fellous,
Assistant Director of the Earth Science and Applications
Programme Directorate from the French space agency Centre
National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), will receive the award on
behalf of the TOPEX/Poseidon Team.
The TOPEX/Poseidon satellite uses an altimeter to bounce
radar signals off the ocean's surface to get precise measurements
of the distance between the satellite and the sea surface. These
data are combined with measurements from other instruments that
pinpoint the satellite's exact location in space. Every 10 days,
scientists produce a complete map of global ocean topography, the
barely perceptible hills and valleys found on the sea surface.
Launched in August 1992, TOPEX/Poseidon's measurements are
accurate to within 4.2 centimeters (1.7 inches).
The TOPEX/Poseidon satellite has been instrumental in
tracking the evolution of the 1997-98 El Nino event.
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology,
manages the satellite for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise,
Washington, DC.
#####
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: SOHO Recertification Board recommendations (Forwarded)
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ESA Science News
http://sci.esa.int
07 Dec 1998
SOHO Recertification Board recommendations
The SOHO recertification board, jointly chaired by ESA and NASA, met at
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) on 2 and 3 December. The Board made a
number of conclusions and recommendations, the first of which was to commend
the 'outstanding achievements of the SOHO recovery team'.
Conclusions and Recommendations
* The Board acknowledges the outstanding achievements of the SOHO Recovery
Team
* The spacecraft is operating in a sun-pointing mode with all instruments on
and collecting high-quality science data
* Roll gyro redundancy has been lost, which increases the risk associated
with recovery from future spacecraft anomalies
* The Board endorses implementation of several measures to increase ground
system effectiveness in order to reduce risk to operations
* Recommendations include a strengthened management structure and processes
with increased staffing and includes a phased approach to transition to
normal operations
* Implementation of the response to the recommendations will contribute
significantly to the mitigation of risk of future operations and ensure
the obligations of both agencies.
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: NASA Invites You to Name Deep Space 2's Twin Microprobes
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NASA Invites You to Name Deep Space 2's Twin Probes
http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/ds2/contest/index.html
Two brave explorers travel to a mysterious, distant world. They go where no
one has gone before and boldly begin to explore. They discover new things
about this world. In sharing this information they help to shape human
understanding about our Universe.
Who are these intrepid explorers? Alas, so far, they are nameless. But you
can help to change that.
The explorers are the twin miniature probes of the Deep Space 2 mission to
Mars being conducted by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
California. In January 1999 the probes, each weighing 5 lbs and encased in a
protective shell the size of a basketball, will be launched to Mars riding
piggy-back on another spacecraft, the Mars Polar Lander. Each probe contains
a suite of miniature instruments and systems designed to conduct experiments
on the red planet.
Arriving near the southern polar region of Mars in December 1999, the two
shells will detach themselves from the larger spacecraft and plummet to the
ground at a speed of about 450 mph. Upon impact with the Martian surface,
the shells will shatter and release the probes. Each of the miniature
probes, surviving forces 60,000 times the force of gravity on Earth, will
then separate into two parts. The lower part, called the forebody, will
plunge into the ground possibly as deep as 1 meter (about 3 feet). It will
remain attached by a data cable to the upper part of the probe, called the
aftbody, which will remain on the surface. During the 1 to 3 days the probes
are expected to gather data, the forebody of each will send a drill into the
surrounding soil to collect a sample. The sample will be brought back into
the probe to test for the presence of frozen water. The forebody also has
temperature sensors that can determine how quickly it loses heat and thus
how well the soil insulates the probe. It will send its findings through the
data cable to the aftbody, which will then relay the data to the Mars Global
Surveyor spacecraft, in orbit around Mars since September 1997. Surveyor
will relay the probes' data back to Earth.
The Mars probes are attempting a feat never done before in space
exploration. They will be the first probes to actually plunge beneath the
surface of an alien world. From our previous Mars missions, we can see by
the markings on the surface that water once flowed abundantly on the red
planet. So one of the great mysteries of Mars is where did the water go? If
there is any water frozen in the soil beneath the surface at either of the
two selected landing sites, the probes will detect it.
The Mars probes are on a mission primarily, though, to test instruments and
technologies being used for the first time in space exploration. If they
work as expected, they will open the door to understanding celestial bodies
within our Solar System in greater detail than we have been able to do in
the past. In the future, perhaps 5 to 10 similar probes could be attached to
a single spacecraft and released at different locations around a planet. In
this way, scientific data can be collected from multiple locations at the
same time, allowing us to understand the entire weather "picture" of a
planet or its seismic activity.
Like the Mars rover named for Sojourner Truth and the Carl Sagan Memorial
Station that explored the surface of Mars during the Pathfinder mission in
1997, these new Mars explorers need names that will reflect something about
their difficult, first-of-a-kind mission and also tie them together as a
pair. Thus, NASA is sponsoring a contest to pick the best names for the twin
miniature probes that reflect the importance of this mission.
To enter the contest, choose two people (must be no longer living) from
history, mythology, or fiction; or choose two places or things that are in
some way related or associated with each other. Your entry may also include
a combination of these, such as a mythological person and a place that are
associated with each other. Describe in 100 words or fewer why your entries
would make good names for the miniature probes. The names should embody the
spirit of exploration, of risk-taking pioneers breaking barriers, or of
accomplishment under extreme conditions. Please do not send any acronyms
(abbreviations using only the first letter of each word, like "NASA") or
names of super heroes, such as "Batman" and "Robin," as suggestions for
names.
You might consider these questions when picking the names or writing your
essays:
1. Do you know of any historical brother or sister duos, partners, or
couples (not living) that worked together to expand the world of science?
How did these people contribute to space science, astronomy, or exploration?
How do the names you have chosen reflect what will happen with the mission?
Do the life stories of the people you have chosen show how they overcame
barriers, opened up new frontiers, or explored extreme environments? Did
these people push back the frontiers of knowledge? Did they take risks to
achieve their goal? Was the goal in itself a great risk? 2. How do the
mythological or fictional characters, places, or things symbolize our
exploration of the universe? 3. Do the names of the people, places, or
things stand for exploration, risk-taking, breaking barriers, technology, or
a sense of discovery?
Contest Rules:
*Anyone is eligible to submit one entry (with two names) naming the twin
probes. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to enter the contest.
*Entries must include an essay of 100 words or fewer describing why the
chosen names best represent the mission.
*All entries, whether submitted electronically or by regular mail, must be
received by April 30, 1999.
*Entries must be submitted in English.
*Entries will be reviewed by a group of judges composed of NASA personnel
and distinguished members of the American public with an interest in the
space program. The judges will make a recommendation to NASA. In the case of
duplicate names, the selection will be based on the written composition.
*All entries become the property of NASA.
Winners will be announced at the end of 1999 and will be contacted via
regular mail. Their names will also appear on the Deep Space 2 web site.
Winners' names and essays may be featured in news releases and other media
materials.
To Enter the Contest:
*You may submit your entry electronically using an on-line form:
http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/ds2/contest/form.html
*Alternatively, submit your names for the probes, along with the reason for
picking these names, by regular mail to:
Deep Space 2 Naming Contest
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Mail Stop 301-235
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099
Include your name, telephone number, address, the name of your school (if
you are a student), age (if under 18) and the name of your local newspaper
with your entry.
Awards:
*The Grand Prize will be stated in the near future. Please check this site
again later.
*All twenty-five finalists will receive a beautiful Deep Space 2 poster
signed by the project team.
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=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Satellite Records Millions Of Lighting Strikes For Study (Forwarded)
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Los Alamos National Laboratory
Contact: Sandy Embry, shorti@lanl.gov
Satellite Records Millions Of Lighting Strikes For Study
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 8, 1998 -- Scientists are gaining new insights into the
electrodynamic processes surrounding lightning by examining measurements
of more than two million individual lightning strokes recorded by a
sophisticated radio receiver aboard the FORTE satellite.
The measurements are sufficiently detailed that the researchers can pick out
signals from the separate processes that build to form an atmospheric
discharge, providing a new, high-quality tool for deepening understanding of
the physical processes governing lightning.
The researchers also are linking FORTE recordings with ground-based
measurements from the National Lightning Detection Network and from a
network of sensors that measure low-frequency electromagnetic emissions,
or "sferics," and changes in the direction of the electric field.
Matching FORTE's readings with others could identify those radio signatures
useful for remotely identifying important storm systems, convective cells
that spawn tornadoes, for example, or unleash damaging hail.
Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National
Laboratory present a slew of papers based on the FORTE data at this week's
annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. FORTE -- which stands
for Fast On-orbit Recording of Transient Events -- was developed jointly by
Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories. Launched August 1997, the
satellite began acquiring radio data almost immediately, and kicked into
high gear when it unfolded a 30-foot-long antenna that had been stowed in a
foot-high canister for launch.
The sophisticated radio receiver samples a wide range of radio frequencies
at a very high rate, essential since the impulsive radio emissions
associated with lightning last less than a thousandth of a second. The
receiver can make a recording and reset its trigger almost instantaneously.
A large onboard data storage capacity lets FORTE hold hundreds of
measurements it can ship to Earth when it circles over the ground station.
FORTE also has two sensors that detect and measure the optical emissions
from lightning.
FORTE was developed to demonstrate advanced technologies for detecting
nuclear weapon detonations and thus help curb nuclear proliferation.
"Lightning is of interest to Los Alamos' national security missions because
there is a parallel between the spectrum of lightning emissions and the
electromagnetic pulse created by a nuclear weapon detonation," said Los
Alamos physicist Abe Jacobson, who heads the FORTE science team.
"FORTE's measurements will allow us not only to build a better 'trigger' to
discriminate between natural and human-caused events of interest, but
we get tons more data about natural phenomena. We can see changes in
the pattern of data as the satellite passes over a storm," Jacobson said,
which will help increase understanding of storm processes.
FORTE's circular, low-Earth orbit is inclined 70 degrees to the equator,
so it makes several passes per day over lightning-prone tropical regions,
notably South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Due to its global
coverage and its large data-acquisition and archiving capability, FORTE
provides a tremendously improved opportunity to gather statistics on the
characteristics of lightning radio-frequency emissions, Jacobson said.
"Global warming could drive the hydrologic cycle with increasing vigor.
We're getting a handle on how to use radio frequency and optical signals
for remote sensing of storm processes," Jacobson said.
FORTE's radio technology is a follow-on to the successful Blackbeard
experiment carried aboard Los Alamos' ALEXIS satellite, launched in
1993. Blackbeard added to the scientific literature observations of
TIPPs, Trans-Ionospheric Pulse Pairs. These were extremely short,
intense, paired radio pulses known to originate from near storm
systems, but otherwise of unknown origin.
FORTE has conclusively shown that TIPPs are generated by lightning,
the second pulse produced by a reflection of the first pulse off Earth's
surface. Blackbeard's radio technology could detect only the strongest
lightning-related events, and TIPPs are generated by extremely strong
discharges.
FORTE's more sophisticated technology can distinguish all the lightning
signals that are generally buried in the noise of manmade radio emissions
and show that TIPPs are at the tail end of the distribution of events. FORTE
can also see signals from the individual events that develop and radiate
from the buildup and discharge of a lightning stroke, whereas Blackbeard
looked only at the integrated signal.
Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California
for the U.S. Department of Energy.
-30-
AGU SESSIONS FEATURING FORTE-RELATED PRESENTATIONS
Tuesday, 1:30 p.m. PST
A22A-02, "Observation and Geolocation of Lightning from Space Using the
FORTE Lightning Location System (LLS), Dave Suszcynsky, presenter.
A22A-15, "Worldwide Rates of Lightning Generated Radio Emissions as
Detected by FORTE," R.S. Zuelsdorf, presenter.
A22A-16, "Observations of Short Duration, Isolated, Transionospheric
Pulses with the FORTE Satellite," Joe Fitzgerald, presenter.
A22A-20, "FORTE Observations of Simultaneous RF and Optical Emissions
From Lightning," Dave Suszcynsky, presenter.
A22A-21, "Comparison of FORTE RF and field-change array observations,"
Bob Massey, presenter.
A22A-22, "Optical and RF Emissions From Superbolt-class Lightning Events
as Observed by the FORTE satellite," Matt Kirkland, presenter.
A22A-23, "Temporal characteristics of radio-frequency pulses emitted by
lightning, as observed by the FORTE satellite," Abe Jacobson, presenter.
Wednesday, 9 a.m. PST
A31D-01, "Observations of Lightning From Space Using the FORTE
Photodiode Detector," Matt Kirkland, presenter.
A31D-02, "Correlation of FORTE satellite radio-frequency lightning
observations with NLDN stroke reports," Abe Jacobson, presenter.
A31D-03, "Initial Comparisons of Optical and Radio Frequency Satellite
Observations of Thunderstorms with Ground Based Sferics, " Paul Argo,
presenter.
A31D-04, "The Los Alamos Electric-Field-Change Sensor Array," Kyle
Wiens, presenter.
A31D-05, "Observations of Compact Intracloud Discharges," Dave Smith,
presenter.
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: Radiation Belts Around Earth Adversly Affecting Satellites/Earth's Own
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Office of Public Relations
University of Colorado-Boulder
354 Willard Administrative Center
Campus Box 9
Boulder, Colorado 80309-0009
(303) 492-6431
Contact:
Daniel Baker, 303-492-4509
Jim Scott, 303-492-3114
Dec. 7, 1998
Editors: Contents embargoed until 8:30 a.m. PST Dec. 7, when Daniel Baker
will participate in an AGU press briefing on the Van Allen Belts.
Radiation Belts Around Earth Adversly Affecting Satellites
Much of the energetic electron activity in Earth's radiation belts, once
thought to be generated by the sun and solar wind, actually is accelerated
to light-speed by Earth's own magnetic shell, creating periodic havoc with
satellites.
Daniel Baker, director of the University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory
for Atmospheric and Space Physics, said new findings indicate that electrons
in the Van Allen radiation belts circling Earth are energized to speeds much
higher than researchers had thought. The Van Allen belts are two main zones
in Earth's magnetosphere where charged particles are confined by the planet's
magnetic fields.
"We used to think that the Van Allen Belts slowly waxed and waned and were
not particularly dynamic," he said. "But these belts have now been shown to
be powerful, energetic particle accelerators, generating excitement and awe
in the scientific community."
Named for physicist James Van Allen who discovered them in 1958, the belts
consist of two doughnut-shaped regions containing electrons and protons
centered thousands of miles above Earth's surface.
Speeding particles in the near-Earth environment from the sun, solar wind and
Earth's magnetosphere -- commonly known as "killer electrons" -- have had a
dramatic effect on human technological systems, said Baker. "This includes
many of the satellites that are up there now and future spacecraft like
the space station, which have the potential to be severely impaired
electronically by light-speed electrons."
Baker presented his latest findings at the fall meeting of the American
Geophysical Union held Dec. 6 to Dec. 10 in San Francisco.
A paper authored by Baker and colleagues in the Oct. 6 issue of Eos, a
publication of AGU, indicate an intense flux of electrons from Earth's
magnetosphere likely played an important role in the failure of the Galaxy
4 spacecraft last May. The event led to a temporary loss of pager service
to 45 million customers.
Activity in the two known Van Allen radiation belts grew so intense in May
1998 that a new belt was created, said Baker. The activity was detected by
several NASA spacecraft, including NASA's WIND, SAMPEX and Polar satellites,
all part of the multi-agency International Solar and Terrestrial Physics
Program.
"We have gotten a much clearer picture of cosmic particle acceleration in
the Van Allen Belts from these satellites," said Baker, an investigator on
the Polar and WIND experiments. "New observations indicate very rapid changes
in these belts on timescales of months, weeks, days, hours and even seconds."
The new findings that killer electrons can be accelerated inside the Van
Allen belts may help scientists better protect satellites by powering them
down or using back-up systems during electronic storms. "This knowledge will
help us better prepare for the next solar maximum period when the sun is most
active, expected in late 2000 or early 2001," said Baker.
Scientists plan to coordinate observations from more than a dozen spacecraft,
which may allow them to produce "space weather" maps of particle acceleration
that could be potentially damaging to satellites. "In many ways, every
spacecraft will act as a high-energy detector," said Baker.
In addition, CU-Boulder recently was selected to design, build, operate and
control a NASA satellite that will study the response of Earth's Van Allen
radiation belts to the powerful solar wind. The $12.8 million satellite
project, known as the Inner Magnetosphere Explorer, or IMEX, is being
directed by Professor John Wygant of the University of Minnesota in
Minneapolis.
Co-Investigators include Baker and LASP Associate Researcher Xinlin Li.
CU-Boulder is expected to receive about half of the funding for the project.
IMEX will study the energetic charged particles -- primarily protons and
electrons -- comprising Earth's radiation zones. In 1996, Baker's research
indicated the operational failure of a Canadian communications satellite,
Anik E1, appeared to be linked to severe space weather.
*****
[Extracted from Goddard Space Flight Center's ISTP webpage.]
EMABARGOED FOR RELEASE ON DECEMBER 7 AT 8:30 A.M. PST
Earth's Own Magnetosphere, Not Solar Wind, Accelerates the Particles of the
Radiation Belts
Forty years after James Van Allen discovered the radiation belts, scientists
have found that Earth's space environment is a massive particle accelerator,
boosting electrons to near light speed in a matter of minutes. By using the
coordinated measurements from two dozen spacecraft together with sophisticated
computer models, scientists should soon be able to make "weather maps" of this
acceleration, allowing predictions of the intensity of the radiation belts and
the location of the most active regions. The acceleration of particles inside
the radiation belts can affect the operation of satellites.
The Van Allen radiation belts are a pair of doughnut shaped rings of ionized
gas (or plasma) trapped in orbit around Earth. The outer belt stretches from
19,000 km (11,500 miles) in altitude to 41,000 km (25,000 miles); the inner
belt lies between 13,000 km (7600 miles) and 7,600 km (4,500 miles) in
altitude.
For decades, space physicists theorized that the Sun and its solar wind
provided most of the high-energy particles found in Earth's radiation belts.
But new observations from the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP)
program and other missions suggest that Earth's own magnetic shell in space,
or magnetosphere, is a more effective and efficient accelerator of particles.
According to Dr. Geoffrey Reeves of Los Alamos National Laboratory and an
investigator for ISTP, the solar wind and Sun are insufficient sources for
the radiation belts. "There are just not enough high-energy electrons in
the solar wind to explain how many we observe near Earth," said Reeves,
who discussed the findings on December 7 in San Francisco during the Fall
Meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
Data from NASA's Polar and SAMPEX spacecraft, as well National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Defense satellites,
show that the radiation belts change in response to a variety of solar events.
High-speed streams of solar wind, coronal mass ejections, and shock waves
from the Sun all can compress and excite the magnetosphere. But it is the
pressure and energy of these events, not the particles buried in them, that
energizes the particles trapped inside the radiation belts.
"It is amazing that the system can take the chaotic energy of the solar wind
and utilize it so quickly and coherently," said Dr. Daniel Baker of the
University of Colorado, an investigator for ISTP and SAMPEX. "We had thought
the radiation belts were a slow, lumbering feature of Earth, but in fact they
can change on a knife's edge."
Discovered in 1958, the radiation belts have long been treated as a relatively
stable and predictable phenomenon. But in studying recent space weather
events, space physicists have found that the intensity of the belts can
vary by 10, 100, or even 1000 times in a matter of seconds to minutes. "The
radiation belts are almost never in equilibrium," said Reeves. "We don't
really understand the process, but we do know that things are changing
constantly."
For instance, in early May 1998, a series of solar events provoked the most
powerful storm in the radiation belts of the current solar cycle. Following
a succession of coronal mass ejections and flares on the Sun, several major
magnetic storms brought auroras to Boston and Chicago, and ISTP ground
observatories in Canada and Antarctica measured electric currents in the
ionosphere about 3-4 times the norm. The leading edge of the magnetosphere,
which usually sits at 76,000 km (45,000 miles) from Earth toward the Sun,
was pushed in to 25,000 km (15,300 miles).
In the wake of this disturbance, the natural gap (or "slot" region) between
the two radiation belts was filled by a new radiation belt, as energized
particles were trapped where they wouldn't naturally settle. The new belt
lasted for nearly six weeks.
"The May 1998 event was a harbinger of what may come during the approaching
solar maximum," said Baker. At the height or maximum of the 11-year solar
cycle -- predicted for 2000-2001 -- coronal mass ejections and other solar
events that disturb the radiation belts are likely to be much more common.
Observations from the May event are prompting researchers and space weather
forecasters to reconsider the radiation belt models relied upon by the
engineers who design and operate satellites. "We now have a fleet of
satellites that gives us a more complete picture of what's going on in the
radiation belts," said Reeves. "We are using this data to construct pictures,
essentially 'weather maps' of what's going on in the radiation belts."
"Within the research community, there has been continuous progress in
modeling the space environment, but very little of that research has made it
into the space weather operations community," said Dr. Terrance Onsager of
NOAA's Space Environment Center. "Most of the models in use today do a
reasonable job of predicting average conditions, but few of them take into
account the dynamics and how quickly the system can change."
"Some of the new models that we are developing will allow us to visualize
the radiation environment over vast regions of space and then specify and
predict the conditions at any location," Onsager added. "We are beginning to
synthesize mature models with the new stream of real-time measurements from
space in order to give industry and the government the information it needs
to work in space."
-END-
EDITOR'S NOTE: A NASA Video File relating to this story will air on December
7 at noon Eastern time. NASA Television is available on GE-2, transponder 9C
at 85 degrees West longitude, with vertical polarization. Frequency is on
3880.0 megahertz, with audio on 6.8 megahertz. Video File Advisories can be
found at ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/tv-advisory/nasa-tv.txt
EDITOR'S NOTE: Images, movies, and captions associated with this release are
available on the Internet at:
http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/news/9812 and
FTP://PAO.GSFC.NASA.GOV/newsmedia/RAD
Andrew Yee
ayee@nova.astro.utoronto.ca
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: NASA Selects Future-X Flight Demonstrator And Experiments
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Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, DC
December 8, 1998
(Phone: 202/358-1779)
June Malone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
(Phone: 256/544-0034)
RELEASE: c98-w
NASA SELECTS FUTURE-X FLIGHT DEMONSTRATOR AND EXPERIMENTS
NASA has selected The Boeing Company, Downey, CA, for
negotiations leading to possible award of a four-year cooperative
agreement to develop the first in a continuous series of advanced
technology flight demonstrators called "Future-X." Total value of the
cooperative agreement, including NASA and Boeing contributions, is
estimated at $150 million, with an approximate 50/50 sharing
arrangement. Work under the cooperative agreement will begin
immediately depending on successful negotiations. Pending results of
these negotiations, alternative designs are available for NASA
selection.
In addition, three companies and three NASA Centers were
selected for seven Future-X flight experiments with a total estimated
value of $24 million. The Future-X effort will be managed by the
Space Transportation Programs Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight
Center, Huntsville, AL.
Future-X vehicles and flight experiments will demonstrate
technologies that improve performance and reduce development,
production and operating costs of future Earth-to-orbit and in-space
transportation systems. Technologies tested through Future-X will
help industry and NASA develop and build future generations of space
launch vehicles that are more advanced and cheaper than previous
vehicles. Under the cooperative agreement Boeing and NASA would
advance 29 separate space transportation technologies through
development and flight demonstrations of a modular orbital flight
testbed called the Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV). The ATV would
be the first-ever experimental vehicle to be flown in both orbital
and reentry environments.
"The cutting-edge technologies to be demonstrated through
Future-X are aimed at increasing U.S. competitiveness in the
worldwide commercial space transportation market and decreasing
future government costs for space access," said Frederick Bachtel,
manager of the Space Transportation Programs Office at the Marshall
Center. "I believe we're turning the key that opens the door to
affordable space transportation."
NASA is pursuing technologies that will benefit both military
and commercial aerospace. Specifically, the Air Force has identified
the critical technology and operations demonstrations that support
their reusability requirements. Future-X accomplishes many of these
demonstrations. "NASA has worked closely with the U.S. Air Force in
seeking high-payoff technologies that maximize U.S. opportunities to
reduce the cost of space transportation," said Bachtel.
The three companies selected to provide flight experiments were
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX; Draper Laboratory,
Cambridge, MA; and AeroAstro, Herndon, VA. The three NASA Centers
selected to provide Future-X flight experiments were Ames Research
Center, Moffett Field, CA; Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH; and
Marshall Space Flight Center. Ames was selected to provide two
experiments.
Selected industry-led experiments include: a half-effect
thruster system flight demonstration of new onboard in-space
propulsion technologies by Southwestern Research, estimated at $2.5
million; an experiment to demonstrate an onboard intelligence
planning system for autonomous abort landings by Draper, estimated at
$740,000; and an experiment to demonstrate technologies that will
significantly reduce the access-to-space costs of small payloads by
AeroAstro, estimated at $800,000.
Selected NASA-led experiments with substantial industry
involvement include: Ames-led experiments to demonstrate advanced
technologies of an integrated-vehicle health-management system, and
to demonstrate ultra-high temperature ceramics for reusable, sharp
hypersonic leading edges, estimated at $4.5 million and $4.2 million
respectively; a Lewis-led experiment to demonstrate propulsion
technologies that will reduce the weight and size of advanced
cryogenic upper stages, estimated at $4.3 million; and a Marshall-
led experiment to demonstrate advanced propellantless in-space
propulsion technologies through an electrodynamic tether which works
as a thruster, estimated at $6.6 million.
The companies and NASA Centers were selected to provide the
flight demonstrator and flight experiments from a total of 50
proposals submitted in response to NASA Research Announcement 8-22.
- end -
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Alexander Bondugin
Тема: NASA Announces Contest To Name Deep Space 2's Two Microprobes
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MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact: John G. Watson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 4, 1998
NASA ANNOUNCES CONTEST TO NAME DEEP SPACE 2'S TWO MICROPROBES
NASA has announced the start of a contest to name its Deep Space 2
mission's two microprobes, scheduled to be launched next month on journey to
Mars.
"Just as Mars Pathfinder's Sojourner rover received its name through
a contest, we would like to invite the public to become involved in helping
to name Deep Space 2's twin probes," said Project Manager Sarah Gavit of
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "What better way to involve school
children and parents alike in this exciting, one-of-a-kind mission?"
Deep Space 2, launching with the Mars Polar Lander on January 3, will
send its two microprobes to impact and penetrate the surface of Mars in
December 1999. Each of its two entry systems consists of a basketball-sized
aeroshell with a softball- sized probe inside. Released from the cruise
stage of the Mars Polar Lander, the probes will dive toward the surface of
Mars. Upon impact, the forebody of each probe will bury itself up to about
one meter (three feet) underground, while the aftbody remains on the surface
to transmit data through the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft back
to Earth.
Unlike any spacecraft before, the Deep Space 2 probes will smash into
the planet at speeds of up to 200 meters per second (400 miles per hour).
The mission's main purpose is to flight- test new technologies to enable
future science missions -- demonstrating innovative approaches to entering a
planet's atmosphere, surviving a crash-impact and penetrating below a
planet's surface. As a secondary goal, the probes will search for water ice
under Mars' surface.
Participants in the probe naming contest can choose either two people
from history, mythology or fiction (not living) or two places or things that
are in some way associated with each other, or a combination. Their choices
should be accompanied by a short written composition of up to 100 words
explaining why their entries would make good names for the miniature probes.
"The names should symbolize our exploration of the universe,
embodying the spirit of risk-taking pioneers breaking barriers," explained
Gavit. Complete details, along with on-line entry forms and further
information about Deep Space 2, are available at
http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/ds2/ .
The deadline is April 30, 1999, and winners will be announced the
following November. Finalists will receive one copy each of a Deep Space 2
poster signed by the project team.
JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology,
Pasadena, California.
#####
Hа сегодня все, пока!
=SANA=
Дата: 10 декабря 1998 (1998-12-10)
От: Oleg Vassilyev
Тема: ASTRID-2 успешно выведен на орбиту.
Hello, All!
Сегодня, 10 декабря, 1998 в 14 часов 57 по московскому времени
был произведен запуск РH Kосмос-3М с KА "HАДЕЖДА" международной системы
COSPAS-SARSAT с попутной полезной нагрузкой - спутником "ASTRID-2"
Шведской Kосмической Kорпорации.
Отделение основного спутника "HАДЕЖДА" вместе с "ASTRID-2" произошло
успешно, и через 3 часа 27 минут после старта ракеты носителя,
в 16 часов 24 минуты по московскому времени, точно в расчетное время,
произошло отделение попутного спутника "ASTRID-2" от основного спутника.
Разделение и начало свободного полета было произведено
над территорией Швеции, над Стокгольмом.
Ракета-носитель "Kосмос-3M" изготовлена в Омске на Производственном
объединении "Полет".
Спутник ASTRID-2 был запущен по контракту между Экспериментальным
Kонструкторским бюро "Полет" (город Омск, Россия) и Шведской Kосмической
Kорпорацией (http://www.ssc.se).
SY,
Oleg.
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