New Satellite to Soak Up Sun Rays

A new spacecraft has been launched from Florida to capture solar radiation, akin to someone taking a vacation by the sea. However, no one considers the location the spacecraft is heading to, over 600 kilometers into the cold heart of space, as a vacation resort. This satellite will help us understand how solar radiation affects Earth's climate. The Sun, the source of life on Earth, is the most studied star, and yet another satellite from the U.S. is set to study it more precisely. A collection of spacecraft from the U.S., Europe, and Japan has studied the Sun for years, gathering information on its surface characteristics or measuring the speed of charged solar particles that bombard our planet at high speeds and sometimes disrupt communications and power transmission systems. However, only a few measurement devices on these older spacecraft measure the solar radiation that reaches Earth. Donald Anderson, the project manager for this satellite at NASA, said, 'This special research aims to enhance our understanding of the solar energy reaching Earth and its impacts on the Earth's environment. Its importance lies in the fact that to better understand the changes caused by humans on Earth, we certainly need to be aware of how the Sun's changes occur before concluding about human-induced changes.' This mission is called 'Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment,' abbreviated as SORCE. SORCE, launched by a rocket from an aircraft near the Atlantic Ocean coast of Florida, will monitor changes in sunlight that reaches Earth. According to Gary Rottman, the head of the scientific team for this mission from the University of Colorado, SORCE will also employ instruments to analyze sunlight across several wavelengths. Mr. Rottman stated, 'We have spectrometers to measure each of the different colors of sunlight and how they change. X-rays and ultraviolet rays are absorbed by the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere. Longer wavelength radiation, visible light, and near-infrared penetrate the lower atmosphere and reach the Earth's surface.' The Sun affects all aspects of Earth's atmosphere, from droughts and holes in the ozone layer to health issues in humans such as skin cancer and cataracts. Mr. Rottman added that the long-term data collected by the SORCE spacecraft will help scientists create more accurate computer models of Earth's atmospheric conditions and improve their understanding of atmospheric changes.