NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program (STP) is a series of missions focused on study the Sun-Earth system. It is part of

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

's Heliophysics Science Division within the

Science Mission Directorate The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) engages the United States’ science community, sponsors scientific research, and develops and deploys satellites and probes in collaboration with NAS ...

Objectives

*Understand the fundamental physical processes of the complex space environment throughout the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...

, which includes the flow of energy and charged material, known as plasma, as well as a dynamic system of magnetic and electric fields. *Understand how human society, technological systems, and the habitability of planets are affected by solar variability and planetary magnetic fields. *Develop the capability to predict the extreme and dynamic conditions in space in order to maximize the safety and productivity of human and robotic explorers.

Missions

TIMED

The TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) is an orbiter mission dedicated to study the dynamics of the

Mesosphere The mesosphere (; ) is the third layer of the atmosphere, directly above the stratosphere and directly below the thermosphere. In the mesosphere, temperature decreases as altitude increases. This characteristic is used to define its limits: it ...

and Lower

Thermosphere The thermosphere is the layer in the Earth's atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. Within this layer of the atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation causes photoionization/photodissociation of molecules, creating ions; the ...

(MLT) portion of the

Earth's atmosphere The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

. The mission was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

on December 7, 2001 aboard a

Delta II rocket Delta II was an expendable launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family and entered service in 1989. Delta II vehicles included the Delta 6000, and the two later Delta 7000 va ...

launch vehicle.

Hinode

Hinode, an ongoing collaboration with

JAXA The is the Japanese national air and space agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003. JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into orb ...

, is a mission to explore the magnetic fields of the Sun. It was launched on the final flight of the M-V-7 rocket from Uchinoura Space Center,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

on September 22, 2006.

STEREO

STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) is a

solar Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

observation mission. It consists in two nearly identical spacecraft, launched on October 26, 2006.

MMS

The Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) is a mission to study the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

magnetosphere In astronomy and planetary science, a magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are affected by that object's magnetic field. It is created by a celestial body with an active interior dynam ...

, using four identical spacecraft flying in a tetrahedral formation. The spacecraft were launched on March 13, 2015.

IMAP

IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) is a heliosphere observation mission. Planned for launch in 2025, it will sample, analyze, and map particles streaming to Earth from the edges of interstellar space.

References

External links

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Solar Terrestrial Probes ProgramNASA Science Mission Directorate - Solar Terrestrial Probes Program
NASA programs Plasma physics Space plasmas Space science experiments {{US-spacecraft-stub