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SOHO shows first sign of aging
Paris (ESA) Jun 25, 2003 The ESA/NASA SOHO spacecraft, launched in 1995, has been delivering outstanding data about the Sun for over eight years. Recently, however, an anomaly on the pointing mechanism of its high-gain antenna has been recorded. The high-gain antenna is required to transmit the large amounts of data from SOHO's scientific observations to Earth. From SOHO's orbit, the antenna has to be pointed in the proper direction -- like a flashlight -- for the data to be received at Earth. The exact nature of the antenna problem is not yet known, but the experts think that a malfunction has occurred in its motor or in the gear assembly that steers the antenna. SOHO is safe, as the spacecraft has a low-gain antenna, used to control the spacecraft and monitor both spacecraft and instrument health and safety, which remains operational. However, if the high-gain antenna problem persists, there will be periodic losses in the real-time transmission of scientific data of about two and a half weeks each three months. The first blackout is estimated to begin sometime late in the week of 22 June 2003. A number of options are currently being investigated by the SOHO team to fully recover or minimise any real-time scientific data loss. A joint ESA/NASA press release will follow shortly. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SOHO at ESA SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Solar Science News at SpaceDaily
From 'Macro' To 'Micro' � Turbulence Seen By Cluster
Paris (ESA) Aug 11, 2005Thanks to measurements by ESA's Cluster mission, a team of European scientists have identified 'micro'-vortices in Earth's magnetosphere. |
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