~
NASA's latest science satellite, the
Interstellar Boundary Explorer (or IBEX) was successfully launched today. Its purpose is to detect and examine particles from the
termination shock, which is where the
solar wind blasting outward from the Sun begins to slow down and eventually cease. It will also study
galactic cosmic rays, which may pose a health hazard for astronauts operating beyond Earth's orbit.
Aside from its scientific value, an interesting thing to note about IBEX was its unusual launch method. Rather than blasting off from the surface of the Earth or being released by a space shuttle in orbit, IBEX utilized the
Pegasus launch system, which is a rocket released from an aircraft in flight. Imagine a large plane firing a missile, which is powerful enough to go into orbit. This is useful only for small payloads; fortunately, IBEX is about the size of a bus tire. You can see
a video of the IBEX launch by clicking here.
~NASA's latest science satellite, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (or IBEX) was successfully launched today. Its purpose is to detect and examine particles from the termination shock, which is where the solar wind blasting outward from the Sun begins to slow down and eventually cease. It will also study galactic cosmic rays, which may pose a health hazard for astronauts operating beyond Earth's orbit.
Aside from its scientific value, an interesting thing to note about IBEX was its unusual launch method. Rather than blasting off from the surface of the Earth or being released by a space shuttle in orbit, IBEX utilized the Pegasus launch system, which is a rocket released from an aircraft in flight. Imagine a large plane firing a missile, which is powerful enough to go into orbit. This is useful only for small payloads; fortunately, IBEX is about the size of a bus tire. You can see a video of the IBEX launch by clicking here.
No comments:
Post a Comment