SNOE satellite to re-enter atmosphere in coming days
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO-BOULDER NEWS RELEASE
Posted: December 2, 2003

A $5 million University of Colorado at Boulder satellite dubbed the "Little Satellite That Did" now is expected to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up in early December following a successful six-year mission.

The Student Nitric Oxide Explorer, or SNOE, is carrying instruments that have measured nitric oxide in the upper atmosphere that affects Earth's ozone layer, the intensity of X-rays from the sun and ultraviolet light from Earth's aurora. Developed at CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics by students, engineers and faculty, the mission has been controlled from LASP's CU Research Park facility 24 hours a day by students and faculty since early 1998.


The SNOE mission patch. Credit: LASP
 
"The SNOE satellite has been determining the influence of the sun on Earth's upper atmosphere by measuring the amount of nitric oxide in the atmosphere," said Charles Barth, former LASP director and principal investigator of SNOE. Produced when solar X-rays are absorbed into the atmosphere, nitric oxide destroys naturally produced ozone when injected into the stratosphere 30 to 50 miles above Earth.

"NASA's latest predictions indicate that SNOE will re-enter the atmosphere on Dec. 5," he said. "However, we are anticipating more solar storms in the next few days that may cause it to come in earlier. We still are studying the effects of the solar storms on the atmosphere, so any large storms in the next several days will be good news for our scientific studies and bad news for the lifetime of the satellite."

Orbiting at more than 300 miles above Earth, SNOE has helped CU-Boulder scientists and students map the effect of global X-rays on the atmosphere. SNOE data have shown that nitric oxide levels in the mesosphere correlate with the 27-day cycle of solar X-rays coming from the sun.

In addition, the researchers discovered that when charged particles sent rocketing to Earth by solar storms slam into Earth's magnetic field and are injected into the polar regions, they produce both Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis. "The same particles that cause the aurora also produce the nitric oxide in the upper atmosphere," said Barth. This helps CU researchers determine how much energy is injected in the polar regions, he said.

Roughly 60 students from disciplines ranging from business, film studies and computer science have participated in the on-campus control of SNOE, said Randy Davis, LASP's mission operations director. LASP currently controls five satellites.

SNOE's design and construction phase involved more than 100 students, primarily undergraduates, said Davis. SNOE was one of three spacecraft selected for flight by the Universities Space Research Association in 1994 as part of NASA's Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative. CU's spacecraft was the first to launch.

"It is remarkable to me how successful SNOE has been," said Davis. "The reasons we built SNOE in-house was the opportunity of involving more than 100 students in the project from design and construction to satellite control and the tremendous science SNOE was capable of doing. We have extremely competent and enthusiastic students here."

From 1981 to 1989, CU students and faculty controlled the Solar Mesosphere Explorer satellite from campus, the first NASA satellite ever entirely operated and controlled by a university. SNOE was the second.

The three-foot-diameter, 220-pound spacecraft was launched on a Pegasus expendable-launch vehicle built by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va. The Pegasus carried the satellite to an altitude of 40,000 feet by jet aircraft and dropped into a five-second free fall. SNOE then ignited horizontally and began ascending, placing it in a circular orbit about 340 miles above Earth within 10 minutes.

CU students tapped into the expertise of engineers from Ball Aerospace Corp. -- which built the Solar Mesosphere Explorer satellite -- and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, working side by side with them in all phases of the project.

The operations were supported in part by a special excellence award from the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, said Davis.

"During the final months of SNOE's lifetime, the students formed a SNOE re-entry team to carefully monitor the satellite's performance," said Barth. "This has been a truly unique experience for CU-Boulder students to participate in from launch to re-entry."

The SNOE research team expects almost all of the satellite to burn up during re-entry, with perhaps a few small fragments falling into the ocean.

Apollo 12 tribute DVD set

New! Featuring the jovial crew of Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 mission was struck by lightning shortly after liftoff but proceeded on the second successful exploration voyage to the lunar surface. This three-disc DVD brings the mission to life with extraordinary detail.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Fallen Heroes special patch
This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Women in Space
Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Mars rover poster
This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
 Choose your store:
U.S.

Exploring Mars
Astronomy Now is pleased to announce the publication of Exploring Mars. The very best images of Mars taken by orbiting spacecraft and NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers fill up the 98 glossy pages of this special edition!
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Mars Rover mission patch
A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is now available from the Astronomy Now Store.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Gemini 7
Gemini 7: The NASA Mission Reports covers this 14-day mission by Borman and Lovell as they demonstrated some of the more essential facts of space flight. Includes CD-ROM.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo patches
The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Mars Rover mission patch
A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is available from our online.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo 9 DVD
On the road to the moon, the mission of Apollo 9 stands as an important gateway in experience and procedures. This 2-DVD collection presents the crucial mission on the voyage to the moon.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Expedition 20
The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 20 crew is now available from our stores.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Current Shuttle Mission Patch
The official embroidered patch for shuttle Atlantis' flight to deliver critical spare equipment to the space station.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE



Ares Patch
The Ares Project will develop two new rockets to launch astronauts back to the Moon under NASA's Vision for Exploration. The Ares 1 will employ a single space shuttle solid rocket booster to loft the Orion crew capsule. The gigantic Ares 5 will haul the equipment and cargo needed for such lunar voyages. This is the Ares emblem.
 U.S. STORE


One Giant Leap
Hosted by Corbin Bernsen, this award winning documentary marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. space agency and features exclusive interviews with veteran astronauts.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Expedition 21
The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 21 crew is now available from our stores.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Soviet Space
For the first time ever available in the West. Rocket & Space Corporation Energia: a complete pictorial history of the Soviet/Russian Space Program from 1946 to the present day all in full color. Available from our store.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Viking patch
This embroidered mission patch celebrates NASA's Viking Project which reached the Red Planet in 1976.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo 7 DVD
For 11 days the crew of Apollo 7 fought colds while they put the Apollo spacecraft through a workout, establishing confidence in the machine what would lead directly to the bold decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon just 2 months later.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Gemini 12
Gemini 12: The NASA Mission Reports covers the voyage of James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin that capped the Gemini program's efforts to prove the technologies and techniques that would be needed for the Apollo Moon landings. Includes CD-ROM.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Get e-mail updates
Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop (privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose).
Enter your e-mail address:

INDEX | PLUS | NEWS ARCHIVE | LAUNCH SCHEDULE
ASTRONOMY NOW | STORE

ADVERTISE

© 2009 Spaceflight Now Inc.