Solar Dynamics Observatory
The 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.
Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite | |
| Names | SDO |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Solar research |
| Operator | NASA GSFC |
| COSPAR ID | 2010-005A |
| SATCAT no. | 36395 |
| Website | http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov |
| Mission duration | 5 years (planned) 13 years, 11 months, 29 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Solar Dynamics Observatory |
| Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 3,100 kg (6,800 lb) |
| Dry mass | 1,700 kg (3,700 lb) |
| Payload mass | 290 kg (640 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 11 February 2010, 15:23:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas V 401 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geosynchronous orbit |
| Longitude | 102° West |
Solar Dynamics Observatory patch | |
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. The goal of the SDO is to understand the influence of the Sun on the Earth and near-Earth space by studying the solar atmosphere on small scales of space and time and in many wavelengths simultaneously. SDO has been investigating how the Sun's magnetic field is generated and structured, how this stored magnetic energy is converted and released into the heliosphere and geospace in the form of solar wind, energetic particles, and variations in the solar irradiance.