Solar Dynamics Observatory
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO ) is a launched on 11 February 2010 NASA mission to explore the dynamic processes of the sun, which is under the LWS program designed (of English. Living With a Star ). SDO will continue the measurements of the SOHO spacecraft. The cost including the first 5 years of the mission be about $ 856 million.
Start and mission duration
The SDO spacecraft was built in the Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA. The start date of the SDO could be brought forward by the postponement of the MSL from the 2009 to the 2011 Mars launch window because the SDO could take over the position of the MSL in the Start Calendar for 2009. The launch was originally scheduled for 10 February 2010, but was postponed for 24 hours due to high winds.
The launch took place on 11 February 2010 at 10:23 clock (local time).
The launcher rocket came a Atlas V (401 ) are used, which carried the satellite from Cape Canaveral into a geostationary transfer orbit. SDO has maneuvered itself from there with the help of his own engine by eleven thrust maneuver in a geosynchronous orbit with an inclination of 28.5 °, which it reached on 16 March 2010. The mission has a minimum duration of five years and three months, but enough fuel for a ten -year mission is carried.
On 21 April 2010, the first- light shots were published.
SDOs launched an Atlas V ( 401) rocket on 11 February 2010
Graphic: Solar Dynamics Observatory lifts the orbit
Construction
SDO is a three -axis stabilized satellite of 2.2 meters by 2.2 meters by 4.5 meters size which is aligned as a whole with instruments and solar panels directly at the sun. He has an apogee for injection into the Geosynchronous orbit, as well as several small attitude control thrusters. The take-off mass of 3100 kg, of which 1400 kg on the entrained fuel and 270 kg scientific payload. The solar panels with a surface area of 6.6 m² and a span of 6.5 m produce 1450 watts of power.
Scientific Instrumentation
SDO has the following three instruments:
- Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment ( EVE): The EVE developed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics is used to measure the solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation in the range of 0.1 to 105 nm with unprecedented accuracy the spectral resolution (better than 0, 1 nm ) with simultaneous high temporal resolution ( every 10 s an image ).
- Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager ( HMI): ' The Helioseismic developed by Stanford University and Magnetic Imager ( HMI) allows measurements of solar variability as well as various components of the solar magnetic activity.
- Atmospheric Imaging Assembly ( AIA ) developed from the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly ( AIA) allows images of the full solar disk in nine different wavelengths in the ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV ) frequency range, as well as a visible with high temporal and spatial resolution. The equipped with four cameras AIA makes up every 10 seconds a picture in HDTV resolution in eight of the ten frequency ranges and a resolution of 725 km.
Communication
SDO is transmitted measured scientific data on a high-speed radio connection 130 megabits per second at 26 GHz Ka-band, for which the satellite has two antennas. Operating data is transmitted via the S-band. A specially built for the SDO mission ground station at White Sands Missile Range with two redundant 18-meter antennas will receive the data. The data stream is up to 300 Mbit / s, the average daily amount of data collected will be about 1.5 terabytes.