Solar Dynamics Observatory

Solar Dynamics Observatory
Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite
NamesSDO
Mission typeSolar research[1]
OperatorNASA GSFC[2]
COSPAR ID2010-005A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.36395
Websitehttp://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov
Mission duration5 years (planned)
14 years, 9 months, 11 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeSolar Dynamics Observatory
ManufacturerGoddard Space Flight Center
Launch mass3,100 kg (6,800 lb)
Dry mass1,700 kg (3,700 lb)
Payload mass290 kg (640 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date11 February 2010, 15:23:00 UTC
RocketAtlas V 401
Launch siteCape Canaveral, SLC-41
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit[3]
RegimeGeosynchronous orbit
Longitude102° West

Solar Dynamics Observatory patch
The detailed images recorded by SDO in 2011–2012 have helped scientists uncover new secrets about the Sun.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA mission which has been observing the Sun since 2010.[4] Launched on 11 February 2010, the observatory is part of the Living With a Star (LWS) program.[5]

The goal of the LWS program is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to effectively address those aspects of the connected SunEarth 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.[6]

  1. ^ "SDO Our Eye on the Sun" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 13 February 2010. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ Dean Pesnell; Kevin Addison (5 February 2010). "Solar Dynamics Observatory: SDO Specifications". NASA. Archived from the original on 30 January 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2010. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "SDO 2010-005A". N2YO. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  4. ^ Bourkland, Kristin L.; Liu, Kuo-Chia (25 July 2011). Verification of the Solar Dynamics Observatory High Gain Antenna Pointing Algorithm Using Flight Data (Report). American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. hdl:2060/20110015278.
  5. ^ Justin Ray. "Mission Status Center: Atlas V SDO". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  6. ^ Dean Pesnell; Kevin Addison (5 February 2010). "Solar Dynamics Observatory: About The SDO Mission". NASA. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2010. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.