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Genesis Scooping Up Solar Wind
Pasadena - Dec 01, 2003 The Genesis spacecraft continues its mission collecting solar wind material expelled from the Sun. Telemetry from the Genesis spacecraft indicates that all spacecraft subsystems are reporting nominal operation. There are three collector arrays aboard Genesis that are exposed to, or hidden from, the solar wind. One collector array for each of the three solar wind regimes. Which collector array is exposed is determined by the data received by sensitive ion and electron monitors located on the spacecraft's equipment deck. These monitors scrutinize the solar wind passing by the spacecraft and relay this information to the onboard computer, which in turn commands the collector arrays to deploy and retract as needed. Recent solar activity has called for the "low solar speed" array to be deployed 100% of the time. Also, the E-Array, which handles coronal mass ejections, was unshaded 94% of the time. Telemetry from the Genesis spacecraft indicates that it is spinning at a rate of 1.6 rotations per minute. The spacecraft's space age "gas gauge" indicates propellant usage totals are about 19.67 kilograms (43.36 pounds). Related Links Genesis Mission SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Keeping Space Free Of Debris
Paris - Nov 27, 2003On 22 February 1986, a European Ariane 1 launcher orbited SPOT 1, the first European Earth observation satellite decided by the governments of Belgium, Sweden and France. Initially designed to operate for three years, SPOT 1 has since supplied commercial operator Spot Image with more than 2.7 million high-quality satellite images. |
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