Van Allen Probes

The Van Allen Probes, formerly Radiation Belt Storm Probes ( RBSP, Radiation Belt Storm Probes ), is a NASA mission to study the Van Allen radiation belt that surrounds the earth. The mission is part of NASA's program, " Living With a Star". The results of the probes to help better understand the environment and the variability of the radiation belt. This is very important for the operation and design of space missions, mission planning and safety of the astronauts.

General

The Goddard Space Flight Center is responsible for the Living With a Star program, whose part Van Allen Probes, together with the Solar Dynamics Observatory ( SDO). The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL ) at Johns Hopkins University is responsible for the entire implementation and device management. The primary mission is planned for a period of 2 years, with a possible extension of up to 4 years. The probes are cooperating with the Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses ( BARREL ), which measures the particles that come out of the radiation belts to the ground.

Milestones

  • Completion of the concept of mission 30 January, 2007
  • Confirmation of the preliminary draft, October 2008
  • Confirmation of the final draft, January 2009
  • Transport of the probes from the APL in Laurel, Maryland to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, 30 April, 2012
  • Start the Atlas V -401 launch vehicle on August 30, 2012 at 8:05 UTC from Cape Canaveral AFS Launch Complex 41
  • Radiation Belt Storm Probes renaming of the Van Allen Probes on 9 November 2012.

Van Allen sample A (top) and B ( below) on its adapter

Start the Atlas V with the Van Allen Probes on board

Launcher

On 16 March, the United Launch Alliance ( ULA ) announced that it has received from NASA the order to start the Van Allen Probes with an Atlas V -401 launch vehicle. The launch took place on August 30, 2012 8:05 UTC within the scheduled, 20-minute launch window. The original deadline was 23 August. NASA postponed the launch after a stop the count down and a problem with the tracking system of the rocket on the 24th of August. As a result of the approaching Hurricane Isaac the Atlas V was driven back into the Vertical Integration Facility to await the storm.

Results

The satellite discovered that can form a further (third ) radiation belt around the earth by a particularly strong solar wind shock. This is outside of the existing outer ring. The far outer ring is for a store for high-energy particles. This configuration is stable until another solar wind shock gives rise to the original configuration. Whether that happens often, is still unknown.

International Designator Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 41 Orbital inclination Laurel (Maryland) Hurricane Isaac (2012)
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