Solar Dynamics ObservatoryThe Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA mission which has been observing the Sun since 2010. Launched on 11 February 2010, the observatory is part of the Living With a Star (LWS) program. The goal of the LWS program is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to effectively address those aspects of the connected Sun–Earth system directly affecting life on Earth and its society.
Van Allen radiation beltThe Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energeticcharged particles, most of which originate from solar wind, that are captured and held around a planet by that planet's magnetosphere. Earth has two such belts, and sometimes others may be temporarily created. The belts are named after James Van Allen, who published an article describing the belts in 1958.
James Van AllenJames Alfred Van Allen (September 7, 1914 – August 9, 2006) was an American space physicist at the University of Iowa who was instrumental in establishing the field of magnetospheric research in space. His discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts in 1958, zones of energetic charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field, was the first major scientific finding of the Space Age.
Goddard Space Flight CenterThe Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately 6.5 miles (10.5 km) northeast of Washington, D.C., in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959, as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC employs about 10,000 civil servants and contractors. Named for American rocket propulsion pioneer Robert H. Goddard, it is one of ten major NASA field centers.
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryThe Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC (abbreviated as Applied Physics Laboratory or APL) is a not-for-profit, United States Navy-sponsored, university-affiliated research center (UARC) in Howard County, Maryland, United States. APL is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and employs more than 8,800 people as of 2025.
Atlas VExpendable launch systemAtlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was developed by Lockheed Martin and has been operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2006. Primarily used to launch payloads for the United States Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial customers, Atlas V is the longest-serving active rocket in the United States. Each Atlas V vehicle consists of two main stages.
Atmospheric entryPassage of an object through the gases of an atmosphere from outer spaceMars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell, artistic renditionAtmospheric entry (sometimes listed as Vimpact or Ventry) is the movement of an object from outer space into and through the gases of an atmosphere of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite.
Hurricane Isaac (2012)Category 1 Atlantic hurricane in 2012Hurricane Isaac was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that came ashore in the U.S. state of Louisiana during August 2012. The ninth named storm and fourth hurricane of the annual hurricane season, Isaac originated from a tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on August 16.
Living With a StarLiving With a Star (LWS) is a NASA scientific program to study those aspects of the connected Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. LWS is a crosscutting initiative with goals and objectives relevant to NASA's Exploration Initiative, as well as to NASA's Strategic Enterprises. The program is managed by the Heliophysics Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
NASAAmerican space and aeronautics agencyThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; ) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program, as well as research in aeronautics and space. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten field centers across the US and is organized into three mission directorates: Human Spaceflight, Research and Technology, and Science.
Uncrewed spacecraftSpacecraft without people on board This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Uncrewed spacecraft" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Top: The uncrewed resupply vessel Progress M-06M (left). Galileo space probe, prior to departure from Earth orbit in 1989 (right).
Cape Canaveral Space Force StationMilitary rocket launch site in FloridaSource:Federal Aviation AdministrationCape Canaveral Space Force StationU.S. National Register of Historic PlacesU.S. National Historic Landmark DistrictLocationCape Canaveral, Florida, United StatesBuilt1950+VisitationPublic tours available to selected historic sitesNRHP reference No.84003872Significant datesAdded to NRHPApril 16, 1984Designated NHLDApril 16, 1984Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
BarrelA barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, usually alcoholic beverages; a small barrel or cask is known as a keg. Barrels have a variety of uses, including storage of liquids such as water, oil, and alcohol.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.