GPS News  
THEMIS Launching Aboard Delta II On Feb 15

The THEMIS spacecraft.
by Staff Writers
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Feb 09, 2007
Launch of NASA's THEMIS spacecraft is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15 from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The launch window is 6:08 to 6:26 p.m. EST, a duration of 18 minutes. NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center is responsible for the launch of THEMIS aboard a Delta II rocket with the launch service being conducted by the United Launch Alliance.

Should the launch be postponed for 24 hours for any reason, the launch window will extend from 6:05 to 6:23 p.m. EST. For a 48-hour postponement, the launch window will be from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m.

THEMIS is an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms. THEMIS consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket.

The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the tantalizing mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights.

The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth's atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. THEMIS will help to provide another piece of the puzzle that will help scientists further understand how and why these space storms create havoc with satellites, power grids and communications systems.

Related Links
Solar Science News at SpaceDaily
Solar Science News at SpaceDaily



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


South Polar Flyby
Washington DC (SPX) Feb 08, 2007
Less than one hundred years ago, the south pole of Earth was a land of utter mystery. Explorers labored mightily to get there, fighting scurvy, wind, disorientation and a fantastic almost-martian cold. Until Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott reached the Pole in 1911 and 1912, it was terra incognita.







  • Anger As Britons Face Air Tax Hike
  • Bats In Flight Reveal Unexpected Aerodynamics
  • Lockheed Martin And Boeing Form Strategic Alliance To Promote Next-Gen Air Transportation System
  • Time to test the Guardian Missile Defense System For Commercial Aircraft

  • EU proposes 25 percent cut in new car emissions
  • EU Reaches Compromise On New Car Emissions Plan
  • London Council Votes For Emissions-Related Parking Charges
  • Multimedia Car Radio Of The Future

  • Northrop Grumman Delivers Payload For First Advanced EHF Military Communications Satellite
  • Defense Support Program Flight 23 Sees Integration Of Satellite And Launch Vehicle Payload Adapter
  • KVH Receives 5-year Sole-source Contract From US Military
  • Raytheon to Demonstrate Global Joint Interoperability Solutions During US-Japan Joint Exercise

  • Congressional Research Service Skepticism On BMD Grows
  • Raytheon Completes Patriot Live-Fire Test With 3-for-3 Successes
  • Iran Threat Behind Polish Interest In Missile Defense
  • Russia Seeks Pact Over US Global Anti-Missile System

  • Canadian Farmer On Global Crusade Against GM Seeds
  • New Management Tool For East Australian Graziers
  • Ancient Genes Used To Produce Salt-Tolerant Wheat
  • Something New Under The Sun

  • Call To Move Indonesian Capital After Deadly Floods
  • Catastrophe Bonds A Market Answer To Hail Or High Water
  • UN Warns Of Natural Disasters Linked To Global Warming
  • Ireland Launches Rapid Response Unit For International Crises

  • Liquid Crystals Stabilised
  • Ultra-Dense Optical Storage On One Photon
  • Nanocomposite Research Yields Strong And Stretchy Fibers
  • Researchers Observe Superradiance In A Free Electron Laser

  • Robotic Arm Aids Stroke Victims
  • Scientists Study Adhesive Capabilities Of Geckos To Develop Surveillance Or Inspection Robots
  • Japanese Women To Try Lipstick With Touch Of Button
  • First Soft-Bodied Robots Planned

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement