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Cygnus ISS Launch Delayed Due To Sun's Coronal Mass Ejection
ClockEndGooner writes "A giant coronal mass ejection from the Sun yesterday has resulted in a higher than normal level of radioactivity, and in turn, forced Orbital Sciences to postpone their first mission launch of the Cygnus space truck to the International Space Station. Citing concerns of the effect increased levels of space radiation may have on the Antares launcher and Cygnus avionics, the NASA and Orbital launch team is now evaluating if conditions will improve for a launch on Thursday, which would have Cygnus arriving at the ISS on Sunday morning."
In other ISS news, the Orlando Sentinel is reporting that NASA has gotten approval from the White House to extend the ISS's mission for another four years, pushing the end date back to 2024. An official announcement is expected later this week.
We keep hearing warnings about CMEs now that we can actually see them coming.
I'm just wondering how many real-life negative effects they had in the previous decades, when we already had electronics (>15V maybe, but less ESD/SEU protection).
Sure, the general public has many more ways to notice, but it's not like there weren't scientists all around the planet keeping an eye on sensitive equipment 30 years ago.
How bad are those forecasted CMEs on modern electronics, compared to previous unexpected CMEs on old stuff?
Has it turned into a convenient excuse for suppliers, should something fail that day?
Bread! Milk! Eggs!
They did know CMEs occur, right? Maybe they are just being cautious the first flight?
Failure to launch due to premature ejaculation? What?
...Stargate travel was also suspended...
Um, no. "Radiation" was the word for which you were looking. "Radioactivity" refers to the particles which are emitted from nuclei as a result of nuclear instability.
There was a significant solar flare at 1832z (1:32 p.m. EST) on 7 January, that bathed the Earth with electromagnetic radiation (X-rays, UV, radio, etc.). This was an X1.2-class flare, meaning that its flux would have peaked at 1.2E(-4) watts/square meter at the Earth's surface, had our atmosphere not protected those of us on the ground from the worst of its effects. The effects of the flare itself (largely attenuation of HF radio signals over the Western Hemisphere during and shortly after the event) are over and done with.
Since this flare was caused by a particular sun spot group that remains active and unstable, Orbital Sciences was concerned about a repeat performance when the Antares' avionics were in the upper atmosphere, and therefore not protected from a second, possibly even more intense, flare that the sun spot may produce.
Concurrent with this flare was a coronal mass ejection (CME), which consists largely of protons blasted out of the sun's atmosphere (the corona). Since these particles are protons, not massless photons, they travel slower than the speed of light, and it takes them a while to get here; they are expected to arrive sometime early on 9 January UTC. However, predictions of CME particle velocity are difficult and prone to error; CMEs can arrive early.
Since the CME could be arriving while the Antares was in operation (the flight was scheduled for liftoff at 1832z on 8 January), and the performance of the rocket's avionics could not be guaranteed in that environment, when this risk was combined with the risk of another X-class flare I think they just decided that a scrub was the wiser choice.
I thought this was their second launch. They've already launched one of these Cygnus resupply missions to the ISS, apparently that one was a demonstration. This is their first commercial launch...
Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
Although TFS states that:
Citing concerns of the effect increased levels of space radiation may have on the Antares launcher and Cygnus avionics
It is actually written in TFA that:
The Cygnus spacecraft would not be affected by the solar event.
Having been involved in the design of some of the avionics onboard Cygnus, I can attest that a S2/S3 class solar event such as this one is well within the specifications of the spacecraft..
The summary (at least) is a bit off on the description. dtmos is close, but still no cigar. The large flare produced three outputs of concern: high levels of x-ray radiation (photons), high levels of high-energy protons, and the CME which is a blast of low-energy (for the sun, anyway) plasma into the solar wind. The x-rays arrive first (at the speed of light, natch) with the high-energy protons not far behind. The shock wave produced by the CME arrives several days later. All of these can cause problems with spacecraft in near-earth orbit, but I suspect that the concern here was those high-energy protons which can damage electronics (and people - this is radiation in the bad old sense). The flux level of those beasts is dropping, but I'm sure NASA is concerned about this sunspot region producing another large flare with another hit from high-energy protons.
The CME, if the shock it produced in the solar wind indeed reaches the earth (this one likely will), can alter the fluxes of high-energy electrons in the earth's radiation belts and will generate active auroral conditions. The ISS is well below the radiation belts, so the CME-produced effects near the earth probably aren't as much of a concern here.
the massive CME has apparently caused slashdot to once again force opt-in everyone to the horrible beta interface.
Cyg's Piss Launch Delayed Due To Son's Anal Ass Erection
I can't be the only one one misread that...
Launch crew:
"Mission Control, we are just waiting for the Money Shot--that's the best part!"
"Coronal Mass Ejection beats bukkake(?-sp?) porn anytime."
Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti