The Swarm Constellation Will Look Inside the Earth 21
Roland Piquepaille writes "Among six Earth Explorer candidate missions, the European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen a 'Swarm' of satellites to look inside the Earth and to do the best survey ever of the Earth's geomagnetic field. The mission, scheduled for launch in 2009, will consist of three satellites released by a single rocket. Two will fly side-by-side 450 km above us while the third one will cruise at an altitude of 530 km. In "ESA to probe Earth's magnetic field," the Register also looks at this future mission which will lead to a better analysis of the Sun's influence in our solar system. More details and illustrations are available in this overview."
what's going on here? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:what's going on here? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
2009? (Score:1, Funny)
If for no other reason (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:If for no other reason (Score:5, Informative)
Pilots only need a very gross measurement of magnetic field. They really only care about the field coming from the earth's core. We measure the field coming from the core and the rocks then remove the core's field. The field from the rocks is much smaller, but can tell you a lot.
Re:If for no other reason (Score:5, Informative)
Re:If for no other reason (Score:3, Informative)
Re:If for no other reason (Score:5, Interesting)
Not always, no. We're overdue for a flip in the magnetic poles. The flip itself won't happen instantaneously, and during that period there will be a lot of weird currents and local poles that would shift constantly. Magnetic heading would change drastically, possibly from day to day.
Re:If for no other reason (Score:4, Informative)
Very unlikely (Score:2)
Re:Very unlikely (Score:2)
While GPS itself (if you have the military's descramble key for the extra accuracy) is on that order of accuracy, the missles themselves are not quite that good.
Still Once in a while a missle does pull off a cool stunt like that and eigther it has a nose camera sending back info or some other camera catches it.
Where feasable the military likes to show THOSE pics off as they have great PR and propaganda value. After all would you like to face an
Re:Very unlikely (Score:2)
I wish I had mod points today bro. That's the best laugh I've had in about a week.
Peace.
wbs.
Re:Very unlikely (Score:2)
When looking for an example (hyperbolic preferably) I just had this sudden image of a bunch people like bin laden and some evil ninja dudes with the expected prostitute types and some ceo type all in a hot-tub when a missle slams into just one and everyone else giving each other "holly $#IT, What the F~(K was that" looks followed by much running and screaming.
Good sig too. The proffesor was alot wiser than the image of that stereo type that is often pined on him.
Mycroft
Re:If for no other reason (Score:1)
Does anyone know if the magnetic poles shift without the field significantly weakening?
As I recall life on the planet earth depends on the van allen radiation belt, and that needs the magnetic field and the solar wind to exist.
Re:If for no other reason (Score:2, Interesting)
Reminded me of... (Score:1)
Oh No! (Score:5, Funny)
Earth's magnetic field is starting to flip? (Score:4, Informative)
Also, according to this article [space.com] and others, the field has decreased 10% over the last 150 years. This has left some satellites vulnerable to damaging radiation.
Other links:
Sun's rays to roast Earth as poles flip" [guardian.co.uk]
The Sun Does a Flip [nasa.gov]
Quick flip of Earth's magnetic field revealed [newscientist.com]