VISIONS: Seeing the aurora in a new light

Feb 01, 2013
The MIniaturized Low-energy Energetic Neutral Atom imager, MILENA, was built at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center to fly on the VISIONS (VISualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral atom imaging during a Substorm) sounding rocket. MILENA will help track how oxygen moves through the atmosphere in response to aurora. Credit: Credit: NASA


Armed with a series of instruments developed specifically for this mission, the VISIONS (VISualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral atom imaging during a Substorm) rocket will soar high through the arctic sky to study the auroral wind, which is a strong but intermittent stream of oxygen atoms from Earth's atmosphere into outer space. Although the rocket will survive only fifteen minutes before splashing down in the , the information it obtains will provide answers to some long-standing questions, says Doug Rowland, who is the VISIONS principal investigator at Goddard.

VISIONS will study how oxygen atoms leave Earth's atmosphere under the influence of the aurora. Most of the atmosphere is bound by Earth's gravity, but a small portion of it gets heated enough by the aurora that it can break free, flowing outwards until it reaches near-Earth space. The atoms that form this wind initially travel at about 300 miles per hour—only one percent of the speed needed to overcome gravity and leave Earth's atmosphere.

"This oxygen would normally never gain enough energy to leave the atmosphere," says Rowland. "On the other hand, at very high altitudes, satellite experiments have measured oxygen atoms moving faster than 50 miles per second. These experiments have shown that if oxygen can reach these high altitudes, there are plenty of ways for it to gain even more energy, in which case the oxygen atoms can escape near-Earth space entirely. What we don't know is how the oxygen gets enough energy to fight against gravity and reach the higher altitudes where these slingshots are active."



To solve the mystery behind the auroral wind, the sounding rocket will use four unique instruments. The key instrument is Goddard's MIniaturized Low-energy Energetic Neutral Atom imager, known as MILENA, which will directly observe the oxygen flowing out of the atmosphere.



The other instruments aboard VISIONS, including the Rocket-borne Auroral Imager (RAI), the Fields and Thermal Plasma (FTP) instrument, and the Energetic Electron Analyzer/Energetic Ion Analyzer (EEA/EIA), will work with MILENA to detect where the auroral activity occurs and measure the auroral energy that heats the . Goddard is providing MILENA and the FTP, while the RAI and EEA/EIA instruments are provided by The of El Segundo, Calif.

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Va., including the NASA Operations Contract (NSROC), is providing the rocket and payload support systems. The Poker Flat launch range is operated by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, under contract to .


"What we're doing is launching into a specific period of intense geomagnetic activity," Collier said. "With VISIONS, it may be the case we're not getting a whole lot of data, but we get the data we want."

All they have to do is wait.


add to favorites email to friend print save as pdf

Related Stories

Rocket launches from Poker Flat Research Range

Feb 27, 2012


Clemson rocket launches test Alaskan auroras

Mar 16, 2007


JOULE II rockets launch with success

Jan 22, 2007


Recommended for you

Informing NASA's Asteroid Initiative: A citizen forum

11 hours ago


Image: Rosetta's comet looms

16 hours ago


A salty, martian meteorite offers clues to habitability

17 hours ago


User comments : 1

Adjust slider to filter visible comments by rank

Display comments: newest first

2.5 / 5 (4) Feb 01, 2013
"VISIONS will study how oxygen atoms leave Earth's atmosphere under the influence of the aurora."

A better understanding of magnetospheric and solar circuits would eliminate the mystery surrounding the phenomenon. The aurora and it's constituent "gases" are a plasma, gravity's effect is negligible. The oxygen and other "gases" are being accelerated in the electric fields present in the aurora.