Launch of Solar Dynamics Observatory
Photo: NASA
NASA is all set to launch its Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) on Tuesday 9 February at 10.30am EST and its mission is to study the behaviour of our own star, the Sun. It is hoped that this mission will help further our understanding of how the Sun works, it’s atmosphere and how to predict its behaviour and thereby limiting it’s effects on satellites and astronauts in space.
Due to the humongous amount of data that the Solar Dynamics Observatory will collect, it’s going to behave a little differently to the usual type of satellite.
Generally satellites share a ground station, which is a place where they send the data they have collected, which they store on a recording system until they connect to the ground station. The Solar Dynamics Observatory doesn’t have a recording system due to the amount of data it is expected to collect, so it will have its own dedicated ground station. This means that the observatory will be in a geosynchronous orbit (this means it will rotate at the same speed as the Earth) as this is the only way that it can stay in constant communication with the ground station in New Mexico.
For further information why not check out NASA’s website for the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Tags: Satellite, Solar Observatory, Sun