23 agosto 2007

L'aggiornamento dei satelliti guardiani del sole


Sì, c'è ancora un po' di tempo, i primi lanci sono previsti per il 2014. Il progetto GOES, i satelliti geostazionari NASA che sorvegliano le perturbazioni solari va avanti e sta prerando la serie R, cui si riferisce il contratto annunciato oggi dall'ente spaziale americano. Il dubbio è: che cosa resterà da ascoltare nel 2014 per noi?
NASA AWARDS NOAA GOES-R INSTRUMENT CONTRACT

WASHINGTON - NASA, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-R) Program, has awarded a contract to the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The total estimated value is $92 million, including options.
The laboratory will build the Extreme Ultra Violet and X-Ray Irradiance Sensors that will fly on the next series of GOES-R. These instruments will help forecast solar disturbances that can affect communications and navigational operations. This satellite series will upgrade existing weather and environmental monitoring capabilities. The first launch of the series is scheduled for December 2014.
The design and development of the instruments will be performed at the contractor's facility in Boulder, Colo. The contractor also will provide post-delivery support for GOES-R.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funds, operates and manages the GOES program. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the acquisition of GOES-R instruments for NOAA. For more information about the GOES-R program, visit: http://osd.goes.noaa.gov.

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