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Jason 1: The 21st Century Argonaut
Pasadena July 31, 2001 The Jason 1 satellite, a joint project of NASA and CNES, the French space agency, arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., today to begin final preparations for launch no earlier than Sept. 15. Jason 1 is the follow-on to Topex/Poseidon, a U.S.-French spacecraft that has been making precise measurements of ocean surface topography since 1992. These data are used to map ocean currents, improve the understanding of ocean circulation, measure global sea level change and improve global climate forecasts. The French-built Jason 1 spacecraft was flown from Nice, France, to Vandenberg on an Antonov-124 cargo plane and then transported to a clean room at Spaceport Systems International, located on the base. After French and U.S. project members complete their final adjustments and tests, the spacecraft will be fueled and turned over to the Boeing Company on Aug. 22 in preparation for launch. Jason 1 will be launched from Space Launch Complex 2 West at Vandenberg Air Force Base atop a Delta II rocket. The rocket has a dual payload system that allows the launch vehicle to carry two satellites at once. Jason 1 will share part of the ride with another spacecraft called Timed, a joint atmospheric mission of NASA and the Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md. Jason 1 will be carried at the top of the rocket's nose cone and will separate first. The launch window is about 20 minutes each day. On Sept.15, the window opens at 12:59 a.m PDT. The launch window gets earlier by about 12 minutes each day. A 10-day launch period is scheduled. Once it reaches its final orbit, Jason 1 will assume the flight path of Topex/Poseidon, which will move into a parallel orbit. They will circle Earth every 112 minutes at an altitude of about 1,330 kilometers (830 miles), measuring the surface topography of the oceans to within 4 centimeters (about 2 inches). Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links TOPEX/Poseidon SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Dirt, rocks and all the stuff we stand on firmly
Magnetic Reconnection Region Larger Than 2.5 Million Km Found In The Solar Wind
Paris (ESA) Jan 12, 2006Using the ESA Cluster spacecraft and the NASA Wind and ACE satellites, a team of American and European scientists have discovered the largest jets of particles created between the Earth and the Sun by magnetic reconnection. This result makes the cover of this week's issue of Nature. |
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