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New spacecraft to warn of disruptive solar storms
August 14, 1997
Web posted at: 10:43 p.m. EDT (0243 GMT)From Science Correspondent Ann Kellan
(CNN) -- Millions of miles away across the vast gulf of space, bubbles of gas explode on the surface of the sun, sending out huge waves of electromagnetic energy.
Despite the distance between the sun and Earth, those waves can wreak havoc when they reach our planet. Such "solar storms" can destroy sensitive electronics on orbiting satellites or disrupt power transmissions.
Until now, scientists have been able to observe solar storms as they develop on the sun but have not been able to tell how strong the storms are or how they might affect the Earth.
Animation of the ACE spacecraft
544 K/15 sec. QuickTime movie
That may soon be changing.
On August 24, a new spacecraft called the Advanced Composition Explorer, or ACE, will be launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This new craft will allow officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to better predict and prepare for solar storms.
"The main thing that we're after here, the No. 1 thing, is to be able to tell ahead of time when major geomagnetic storms (will hit)," says Ron Zwickl of NOAA. "We won't (be able to tell) all activity, but the major ones are what we're after."
Data from ACE will be relayed to NOAA's Space Environment Center, which plans to send out regular space "weather" bulletins to power companies, satellite operators and others, essentially giving them one hour to prepare for a damaging solar storm headed their way.
"Needless to say, they would love to know a day or two ahead of time," says Zwickl. "In this particular case, an hour is a useful quantity (of time) for that particular customer."
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