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Post by Bob k6tr on Mar 6, 2009 20:56:32 GMT
I have decided to broaden the discussion in the thread. This topic will include SOHO - Solar Heliospheric Observatory Hinode - JAXA Solar Observatory STEREO - Solar Terresterestial Observatory SDO - Solar Dynamics Observatory GOES - Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Solar Probe Plus Solar Sentinnels ======================================================== ======================================================== Three months ago NASA announced that it had formally assigned a launch window for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). That window is set for October 8th to November 8th 2009 with October 8th as the targeted launch date. Updates and Progress Reports were posted regularly at the Goddard Space Flight Center website while the observatory was under construction in Maryland. sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/The observatory was shipped to the Kennedy Space Center after completion of it's final construction test last December. At that time the Goddard website went quiet. NASA now has launched a Mission Webpage for SDO which is being updated regularly at : www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/main/index.htmlOnce launched and commissioned SDO will replace most of the functions on SOHO. Shortly thereafter most of the instruments on SOHO will be powered down bringing to an end the mission of the most productive scientific research satellite ever launched by NASA. The biggest improvement on SDO will be it's data download rate which can be described a tremendous, more than 1 Terabyte per day. SDO will be placed in a Geosynchronus Orbit above its download station in White Sands New Mexico. SDO will send down a continous stream of Live Video of the Sun where we only received snapshot before from SOHO and STEREO. It will include instruments that will furnish higher detail of the sun especially its Helioseismic/Magnetic Imager. This satellite should prove to be quite an asset for those involved in Astrophysics and Solar Research. |
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Post by SDJ on Mar 9, 2009 1:36:36 GMT
If the SDO is to be placed in a geosynchronous orbit, although the data transfer rate may be greatly increased, doesn't that mean it will have much less solar observation time than SOHO? Are they just planning to relinquish the Lagrange 1 spot? The advantage of SOHO and ACE was the 24-hour coverage of solar activity, albeit at intervals in time to deal with downlink data transmission possibilities. Having much more data is a positive, but a geosynchronous orbit would place the SDO into an eclipse position for a good portion of each day, on a daily basis.
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Post by Bob k6tr on Mar 9, 2009 3:53:32 GMT
If the SDO is to be placed in a geosynchronous orbit, although the data transfer rate may be greatly increased, doesn't that mean it will have much less solar observation time than SOHO? Are they just planning to relinquish the Lagrange 1 spot? The advantage of SOHO and ACE was the 24-hour coverage of solar activity, albeit at intervals in time to deal with downlink data transmission possibilities. Having much more data is a positive, but a geosynchronous orbit would place the SDO into an eclipse position for a good portion of each day, on a daily basis. SDJ That problem isn't as bad as one would think. It's been awhile since I read the planning documents but as I recall the eclipse period at it's height would once a day for a maximum of 70 minutes at local midnight. And that will only occur during 2 45 day periods, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. Regarding SOHO, once SDO is up and calibrated all of SOHO's instruments will be shut down with the exception of LASCO. I haven't heard how long that will continue but one of the arguments presented to justify SDO is the ground based assets that will be freed up with the retirement of SOHO so I imagine it won't be long. As to LaGrange 1 ESA has dibs on it for a Pathfinder Mission to find out if there are oscillating waves propagating through the universe. |
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Post by ron on Mar 9, 2009 23:56:34 GMT
I wonder what interesting data they can get looking through the atmosphere towards the sun and around the edge effect of earth.
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Post by potis21 on Apr 2, 2009 2:50:44 GMT
Why don't they relocate soho without shutting it down, to an active rotating orbit around the sun? a slowdown near the rear side of the sun along with stereo ahead coverage would provide 360' view of our star for some years to go.
unless the antennas are bolted fixed, of course...
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shm6666
Level 2 Rank
The Sun :-)
Posts: 98
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Post by shm6666 on Apr 2, 2009 7:49:24 GMT
I think SOHO has operated for a very very long time and is running out of fuel. I don´t think that it has the fuel to make that maneuver.
Quite interesting with SDO. SDO needs an Atlas V to make it into a GEO. That Atlas V that SDO is going to use was originally slated for Mars Science Laboratory. Now that mission got delayed and SDO got that slot. Sweet for us!
/Sven
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Post by randwick on Apr 15, 2009 8:22:51 GMT
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Post by Bob k6tr on Apr 17, 2009 0:17:20 GMT
I think SOHO has operated for a very very long time Yes it has. Next year will make 15 years. It was designed to last 5. and is running out of fuel. It is consuming it's hydrazine but no where close to running out. NASA/ESA designed in a large fuel tank because there was a great deal of uncertainty about how much manuevering would be required to get it in orbit around Lagrange 1. At it's present rate of fuel consumption SOHO can stay on station for another 20 years. I don´t think that it has the fuel to make that maneuver. You got that right ! The earth is 93 million miles from the sun. The moon is 240 thousand miles from earth. SOHO at LaGrange 1 is 950 thousand miles from earth. Even with all of the extra fuel onboard NASA is not able to do much with SOHO. SOHO is about the size of a School Bus. For comparison the STEREO Satellites are about the size of a Golf Cart. It took some slick orbital mechanics to get those two satellites in the orbits they now occupy. Quite interesting with SDO. SDO needs an Atlas V to make it into a GEO. That Atlas V that SDO is going to use was originally slated for Mars Science Laboratory. Now that mission got delayed and SDO got that slot. Sweet for us! /Sven SDO was tested and ready for launch ahead of LRO/LCROSS which will be launched next month. NASA's Launch Scheduling has an element of politics to it. With Solar Activity low right now SDO may have been pushed back if MSL was ready to go in September but it would have to successfully complete all of it's preflight tests. Even if MSL did grab that booster SDO would have been launched in the First Quarter of 2010. |
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Post by bender on May 3, 2009 20:51:26 GMT
Not only is the size of the SDO about the same as a school bus, it looks kind of like a school bus. sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ |
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Post by Bob k6tr on Jun 24, 2009 21:00:07 GMT
STEREO Photos have been out for over a day.
When I called up the SSC Site to get status information I received a Dead-Link error message so the problem appears to be server related.
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Post by Bob k6tr on Jun 25, 2009 1:28:55 GMT
Looks like something is afoot.
Lets hope Goddard nails the culprits quickly
STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2009-06-16 (Week 25)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
-------------
* On DOY 165, at 1800Z, APL temporarily suspended its Internet connection to
thwart a cyber attack. The Restricted IONet, the network that is used for
real-time S/C operations, was unaffected. On DOY 166, at 1722Z, the three
primary external workstations that receive DSN data and instrument remote
commanding, and distribute real-time telemetry and data products were
restored. This resulted in a one day delay of the processing and distribution
of science data products. All SSR data was recovered. Also, real-time
telemetry distribution and real-time remote instrument commanding were not
available for three tracks. Each track continues to be staffed until remote
monitoring services are restored.
STEREO Weekly Meeting Minutes for 2009-06-23 (Week 26)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
-------------
* The STEREO Science Center website is temporarily unavailable. In the
meantime, many of the data can be retrieved through the anonymous ftp server
at stereoftp.nascom.nasa.gov.
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Post by Bob k6tr on Jun 26, 2009 15:52:39 GMT
GOES O is scheduled to launch today, Friday June 26th, at 6:14 PM EDT from Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch window extends for 1 hour but the current weather forecast of thunderstorms in the area only gives the probability of launch at 30% for today. Here is the link to the NASA webpage for GOES. This page includes a link for live coverage of the launch. Coverage begins at 4 PM EDT. www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GOES-O/main/index.html |
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Post by Bob k6tr on Jun 26, 2009 23:24:11 GMT
The launch was scrubbed due to weather.
NASA will attempt to launch again tomorrow, Saturday June 27, but the weather again looks to be marginal.
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Post by vukcevic on Jun 29, 2009 19:37:39 GMT
Ageing solar probe to be taken off life support Ground controllers will pull the plug on the solar probe Ulysses ending an epic mission that has lasted more than 18 years. Ulysses launched in October 1990 and swung past Jupiter in 1992, putting it into an orbit that crosses the sun's poles – the first and only spacecraft ever to do so. In mythology, Ulysses – the Latin name for the Greek king Odysseus made famous in Homer's epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey – returned to his home in Ithaca, Greece, after a 20-year absence. www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/ulysses-20090626.html |
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Post by france on Jul 3, 2009 9:54:54 GMT
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