Goddard Projects Directory

The search for A produced 19 results out of 249 records ACE Launch Date: 08/25/1997 The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) primary purpose is to determine and compare the isotopic and elemental composition of several distinct samples of matter. The ACE spacecraft will study energetic particles of solar origin, which will contribute to our understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system as well as the astrophysical processes involved. Approximately 1/100 of the distance from the Earth to the Sun, ACE will perform measurements over a wide range of energy and nuclear mass, under all solar wind flow conditions and during both large and small particle events including solar flares. When reporting space weather, ACE can provide an advance warning (about one hour) of geomagnetic storms that can overload power grids, disrupt communications on Earth, and present a hazard to astronauts. Other Name(s):  Advanced Composition Explorer, Explorer 71 |  GSFC Link  |  Project Information  |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |  Additional URL 2  |  Image Gallery  |  Educational Resource  |   AEROS Launch Date: 07/16/1974 The AEROS German-built satellite mission studied the state and behavior of the upper atmosphere and ionospheric F region, especially with regards to the influence of the solar ultraviolet radiation. It was launched into an elliptical, polar, nearly sun-synchronous Earth orbit. Other Name(s):  Aeros-B, Aeros 2 |  NSSDC Link  |   AIM Launch Date: 04/25/2007 The scientific purpose of the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission is focused on the study of Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs) that form about 50 miles above the Earth's surface in summer and mostly in the polar regions. The overall goal is to resolve why PMCs form and why they vary. AIM will measure PMCs and the thermal, chemical and dynamical environment in which they form. This will allow the connection to be made between these clouds and the meteorology of the polar mesosphere. This connection is important because a significant variability in the yearly number of noctilucent ("glow in the dark") clouds (NLCs), one manifestation of PMCs, has been suggested as an indicator of global change. The body of data collected by AIM will provide the basis for a rigorous study of PMCs that can be reliably used to study past PMC changes, present trends and their relationship to global change. In the end, AIM will provide an expanded basis for the study of long-term variability in the Earth's climate. Other Name(s):  Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere, Explorer 90 |  GSFC Link  |  Project Information  |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |  Image Gallery  |  Educational Resource  |   Alouette Launch Date: 09/29/1962 Alouette was a small ionospheric observatory instrumented with an ionospheric sounder, a VLF receiver, an energetic particle detector, and a cosmic noise experiment. This Canadian Defense Research Board satellite was the first spacecraft designed and built by a country other than the U.S. and USSR. It studied the Earth's ionosphere and aurora. Other Name(s):  Alouette 1, Alouette-A |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   AMPTE/CCE Launch Date: 08/16/1984 The Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE) mission was designed to study the access of solar-wind ions to the magnetosphere, the convective-diffusive transport and energization of magnetospheric particles, and the interactions of plasmas in space. The mission consisted of three spacecrafts: the Charge Composition Explorer (CCE), the Ion Release Module (IRM) and the United Kingdom Sub-satellite (UKS). The CCE spacecraft was instrumented to detect those lithium and barium tracer ions from the IRM releases that were transported into the magnetosphere within its orbit. Other Name(s):  Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorer, AMPTE/Charge Composition Explorer, CCE, Charge Composition Explorer, Explorer 65 |  Project Information  |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   AMPTE/IRM Launch Date: 08/16/1984 The Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE) mission was designed to study the access of solar-wind ions to the magnetosphere, the convective-diffusive transport and energization of magnetospheric particles, and the interactions of plasmas in space. The mission consisted of three spacecrafts: the Charge Composition Explorer (CCE), the Ion Release Module (IRM) and the United Kingdom Sub-satellite (UKS). The IRM spacecraft provided multiple ion releases in the solar wind, the magnetosheath, and the magnetotail, with in situ diagnostics of each. In addition to the ion releases, the instruments on board the spacecraft monitored the ambient, magnetosphere, but with the data acquisition confined to the passes that could be tracked in real time from Germany. Other Name(s):  Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorer, AMPTE/Ion Release Module, IRM, Ion Release Module |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   AMPTE/UKS Launch Date: 08/16/1984 The Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE) mission was designed to study the access of solar-wind ions to the magnetosphere, the convective-diffusive transport and energization of magnetospheric particles, and the interactions of plasmas in space. The mission consisted of three spacecrafts: the CCE, the IRM and the UKS. The UKS spacecraft served as a subsatellite of the IRM spacecraft. Its purpose was to help distinguish between spatial structure and temporal changes in the plasma phenomena initiated by ion releases from the IRM and in the natural magnetospheric environment. Other Name(s):  Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorer, AMPTE/United Kingdom Subsatellite, UKS, United Kingdom Subsatellite |  NSSDC Link  |   ANS A Launch Date: 08/30/1974 The Astronomical Netherlands Satellite-A (ANS A) was an Earth-orbiting, sun-synchronous satellite, designed as an astronomical observatory. The spacecraft was attitude-controlled by magnetic coils interacting with the Earth's magnetic field. The experiments on board observed celestial objects in UV and X-ray wavelengths. During its 20 months observing lifetime, ANS measured the positions, spectra, and time variations of galactic and extragalactic X-ray sources and obtained over 18,000 observations of about 400 objects. Other Name(s):  Astronomical Netherlands Satellite, ANS |  NSSDC Link  |  Image Gallery  |   AQUA Launch Date: 5/4/2002 The focus for the Aqua Project is the multi-disciplinary study of the Earth's Interrelated Processes (atmosphere, oceans, and land surface) and their relationship to Earth system changes. This large remote sensing spacecraft is designed to complement the Earth observations of the previously launched TERRA satellite. Its research emphasized the Aqua instrument data sets which include: atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles, clouds, precipitation and radioactive balance; terrestrial snow and sea ice; sea surface temperature and ocean productivity; soil moisture; and the improvement of numerical weather prediction. Other Name(s):  EOS-PM1 |  GSFC Link  |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |  Image Gallery  |   Ariel I Launch Date: 04/26/1962 Ariel 1, the first international satellite, was designed to contribute to the current knowledge of the ionosphere and of sun-ionosphere relationships. On board the satellite were a tape recorder and instrumentation for one cosmic-ray, two solar emissions, and three ionospheric experiments. Other Name(s):  Ariel 1, S 51, UK 1 |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   Ariel II Launch Date: 03/27/1964 Ariel 2, a joint U.S. and U.K. satellite, was launched from the Wallops Flight Facility using a Scout 25 rocket. It carried three British experiments to measure galactic radio noise and made a global survey of the ozone. Other Name(s):  Ariel 2, S 52, S 52A, UK 2, UK-C |  NSSDC Link  |   Ariel III Launch Date: 05/05/1967 Ariel 3 was design to continue and extend atmospheric and ionospheric space investigations with the first UK-built satellite. It was a small observatory with five experiments. A tape recorder was included to obtain data for global surveys of observed variables. Other Name(s):  Ariel 3, UK 3, UK-E |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   ATS F Launch Date: 05/30/1974 The Applications Technology Satellite-F (ATS F) became the world's first educational satellite. Its primary objective was to provide good quality TV signals to small, inexpensive ground receivers. The secondary objective was to demonstrate new concepts on space technology in the areas of aircraft control, laser communications, and visual and infrared mapping of the Earth/atmosphere system. The satellite was also capable of (1) measuring radio frequency interference in shared frequency bands and propagation characteristics of millimeter waves, (2) performing spacecraft-to-spacecraft communication and tracking experiments, and (3) making particle and radiation measurements of the geosynchronous environment. Other Name(s):  Applications Technology Satellite 6, ATS 6, Advanced Tech. Sat. 6 |  Project Information  |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   ATS I Launch Date: 12/07/1966 The Applications Technology Satellite-I (ATS I) primary objectives were to perform various communications, meteorology and control technology experiments, and carry out scientific measurements of orbital environment. ATS 1 has served as a communications satellite for a number of state, federal, and public organizations up to the present. Other Name(s):  ATS 1, ATS-B, Advanced Tech. Sat. 1, Applications Technology Satellite-1 |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   ATS II Launch Date: 04/06/1967 The Applications Technology Satellite-II (ATS II) primary objective was to perform a test of gravity gradient control system that carried microwave communications, meteorological cameras, and eight scientific experiments. Other Name(s):  Applications Technology Satellite 2, ATS 2, ATS-A, Advanced Tech. Sat. 2 |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   ATS III Launch Date: 11/05/1967 The Applications Technology Satellite-III (ATS III) focused further on the development of experiments and concepts in useful applications of space technology to communications, meteorology, navigation, and Earth resources management. On board were 11 experiments. Eight were technological engineering experiments concerned with navigation, communications, and spacecraft operation and equipment. Two of the remaining experiments were photographic imaging experiments that could produce near real-time daylight pictures of the Earth-atmosphere system. The remaining experiment was an ionospheric beacon. Other Name(s):  Applications Technology Satellite 3, ATS 3, ATS-C, Advanced Tech. Sat. 3 |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   ATS IV Launch Date: 08/10/1968 The Applications Technology Satellite-IV (ATS IV) primary objective was to evaluate gravity-gradient stabilization, simultaneous transmission of voice, TV, telegraph, and digital data. Other Name(s):  Applications Technology Satellite 4, ATS 4, ATS-D, Advanced Tech. Sat. 4 |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   ATS V Launch Date: 08/12/1969 The Applications Technology Satellite-V (ATS V) was an equatorial-orbiting, synchronous-altitude technology satellite intended to test various communications and Earth observational systems. Its primary objective was to evaluate gravity-gradient stabilization and new imaging techniques for meteorological data retrieval. Other Name(s):  Applications Technology Satellite 5, ATS 5, ATS-E, Advanced Tech. Sat. 5 |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |   Aura Launch Date: 08/10/2004 The Aura mission will enable scientists to study the Earth's ozone, air quality and climate. The primary objective of this mission is to conduct research on the composition, chemistry and dynamics of the Earth's upper and lower atmosphere employing. With the launch of Aura, NASA will make the most comprehensive measurements ever undertaken of the Earth's atmosphere. It will also cap off a 15-year international effort to establish the world's most comprehensive Earth Observing System, whose overarching goal is to determine the extent, causes, and regional consequences of global change. These observations will provide accurate data for predictive models and provide useful information for local and national government agencies. Other Name(s):  EOS-Chem 1 |  GSFC Link  |  NSSDC Link  |  Additional URL 1  |  Additional URL 2  |  Image Gallery  |  Educational Resource  |