The ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer was successfully integrated into the satellite bus of the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory.
BAE Systems successfully completes the integration of the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory’s ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer onto the satellite bus, the next major step in completing the NASA Earth-monitoring satellite. NASA/BAE Systems
Carruthers is a small satellite (SmallSat) and once in orbit at Lagrange Point 1 (L1), the observatory will use an advanced UV imager to observe the exosphere — the outermost part of the atmosphere — to determine how it changes in response to space weather caused by the Sun. Carruthers is expected to be the first SmallSat to operate at L1, a gravitationally stable orbit point between the Earth and Sun about one million miles away, and it will be the first satellite to provide continuous observations of the Earth’s exosphere.
BAE Systems technician inspects the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory satellite after integration of the ultraviolet (UV) spectrometer onto the satellite bus.
The mission was previously called the Global Lyman-alpha Imager of the Dynamic Exosphere (GLIDE), but it was renamed in 2020 in honor of Dr. George R. Carruthers, the renowned scientist responsible for designing and building the moon-based telescope that took the first images of the Earth’s geocorona from space as part of the Apollo 16 mission.
In the midst of the Heliophysics Big Year, one NASA mission, the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, is launching a new outreach campaign. This campaign aims to inspire teens to learn more about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers, Earth and space science, and about the Sun-Earth connection in particular. Get ready for Space Weather Explorers Week!
Space Weather Explorers Week offers a collection of lessons and activities about the Sun-Earth connection. The campaign’s website features information and educational activities laid out in week-long courses that can be accessed any time of the year. However, “live” weeks occur several times a year where scientists will interact with participants through a social platform. The next live week is April 1-5, 2024, to coincide with the Heliophysics Big Year monthly theme for April, the April 8 total solar eclipse. The lesson plans for this live week are geared towards learning more about the Sun, Earth, space weather, eclipses, and careers in space science.
Photo of children simulating a solar eclipse on a representation of Earth. Credit: NASA
The website and programs also emphasize the importance of role models and feature volunteers from underrepresented groups in science. This is inspired by the mission’s namesake, George R. Carruthers, an African American physicist who designed and built the Moon-based telescope that first observed the geocorona.
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory mission will study Earth’s exosphere, the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere. This mission will be the first dedicated to charting changes in this expansive region we know little about. It seeks to answer basic questions about the nature of Earth’s exosphere, such as its shape, size, and density, and what causes these aspects to change over time.
The exosphere is a transitional region from Earth’s environment to the space environment and is difficult to observe in any global sense from the surface of our planet. The exosphere plays an important role in Earth’s response to space weather, the changing conditions in space driven by the Sun. That space weather can impact our technology, from satellites in orbit to communications signals in the upper atmosphere to power grids on the ground. Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will help us better understand the fundamental physics of our atmosphere and improve our ability to predict the impacts of the Sun’s activity.
To date, only four images exist of the exosphere. The first image was from Carruthers’ telescope when it was placed on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission in 1972. The telescope was sensitive to ultraviolet light that was absorbed and re-emitted by neutral particles of hydrogen in the exosphere. Scientists call this ultraviolet emission the geocorona, which is Latin for “Earth’s Crown.”
This photo of Earth’s exosphere was taken by a telescope on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission in 1972. Credit: NASA
The mission is led by Lara Waldrop from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which was where Carruthers earned his bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in the 1960s. “Women and men of color have long been underrepresented in space physics, and we plan to buck that trend,” said Waldrop. “One of our core principles on the Carruthers team is building a diverse team across the mission’s science, engineering, and administrative leadership teams.
Check out the Space Weather Explorers Week website at https://spaceweather.ssl.berkeley.edu/, spread the word, and prepare to ask scientists a lot of questions!
By Dr. Bryan Mendez
Planetarium Director, University of California, Berkeley
