Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 3 (GOES 3) was the third in a series of National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather satellites designed to maintain a fixed position relative to Earth....[More]
GOES 3 (1978):
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 3 (GOES 3) was the third in a series of National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather satellites designed to maintain a fixed position relative to Earth. (The program is ongoing; GOES 14 was launched in June.) About 10 years ago GOES 3 was repurposed as a communications satellite for the U.S. Antarctic Program. As the satellite has drifted over the years, its orbital tilt, or inclination, relative to Earth's equator has increased, making it more available to the far southern Antarctic stations. An artist's representation of a satellite from GOES 3's class is shown above.
Until five years ago, an even older satellite known as ATS 3 (for Applications Technology Satellite), launched in 1967, was active in the constellation of Antarctic communication satellites, having entered service with the arrival of an Apple IIe terminal to operate ATS 3 from Antarctica in 1984. That satellite was finally deactivated in 2004 after 37 years of operation, according to Patrick Smith, the manager of technology development, Antarctic infrastructure and logistics for the National Science Foundation.
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NASA
TDRS 1 (1983):
The first of NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) was released from space shuttle Challenger in 1983—its deployment is shown in the photograph above....[More]
TDRS 1 (1983):
The first of NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) was released from space shuttle Challenger in 1983—its deployment is shown in the photograph above. The TDRS system provides a communications network between the ground and spacecraft and satellites in low Earth orbit.
Nowadays TDRS 1 complements GOES 3 in providing communications to the U.S. Antarctic Program. Like GOES 3, TDRS 1 has assumed a more inclined orbit over the years. According to a NASA history of the Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network, the satellite was used for the dramatic 1999 biopsy and videoconferenced diagnosis of Jerri FitzGerald, a doctor who discovered a lump in her breast while stationed on Antarctica. Marooned by the southern winter, she treated herself for what proved to be cancer until the weather improved and she could be flown out. FitzGerald's cancer recurred several years later, and she died last month at age 57.
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NASA
AMSAT-OSCAR 7 (1974):
A satellite launched for amateur radio communications in 1974, AMSAT–OSCAR 7 (AO 7) fell dormant in 1981 when a battery failed. In 2002, however, a ham radio user picked up a signal from the aging orbiter's beacon....[More]
AMSAT-OSCAR 7 (1974):
A satellite launched for amateur radio communications in 1974, AMSAT–OSCAR 7 (AO 7) fell dormant in 1981 when a battery failed. In 2002, however, a ham radio user picked up a signal from the aging orbiter's beacon. Running off solar power alone, the satellite shuts down each time it loses sunlight, then reboots when it comes back to the dayside, making its behavior somewhat glitchy. But AO 7 and its transponders remain operational to this day.
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AMSAT
VOYAGERS 1 AND 2 (1977):
Voyager 1, having journeyed for more than 30 years, is now the farthest man-made object in the universe at more than 10 billion miles from the sun....[More]
VOYAGERS 1 AND 2 (1977):
Voyager 1, having journeyed for more than 30 years, is now the farthest man-made object in the universe at more than 10 billion miles from the sun. Voyager 2 is taking a slower route that allowed flybys of Uranus and Neptune—the first and only space probe to do so. Both spacecraft continue to function today, and they could become the first probes to report back from interstellar space when they escape the solar system as expected in the next five to 10 years. Should they ever encounter an alien civilization, both Voyagers carry a Golden Record, a 12-inch gold-plated LP spearheaded by astronomer Carl Sagan with a selection of music, nature sounds and greetings from Earth in numerous languages. Each LP comes with a stylus and symbolic instructions for playing the record as well as a written message from then-President Jimmy Carter.
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NASA
PIONEER 6 (1965):
The solar-orbiting Pioneer spacecraft numbered 6 through 9 were early explorers of interplanetary phenomena such as cosmic rays and the newly confirmed solar wind....[More]
PIONEER 6 (1965):
The solar-orbiting Pioneer spacecraft numbered 6 through 9 were early explorers of interplanetary phenomena such as cosmic rays and the newly confirmed solar wind. Pioneer 6, the first of the four craft to launch, was still ticking as recently as 2000—ground controllers locked onto the spacecraft for a few hours to commemorate the 35th anniversary of its launch. Larry Lasher of the NASA Ames Research Center, former project manager for the Pioneer missions, says that he is not aware of any plans to check in on Pioneer 6 for the 45th anniversary of its deployment next year, and technical changes at NASA's Deep Space Network make such an attempt more difficult than it used to be. All the same, Lasher says Pioneer 6 is undoubtedly following its orbit around the sun and would likely be reachable if the infrastructural barriers to contact did not exist.
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NASA
GOES 7 (1987):
Another member of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite family, GOES 7 was launched in 1987 and served its purpose as a meteorological observer for a dozen years....[More]
GOES 7 (1987):
Another member of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite family, GOES 7 was launched in 1987 and served its purpose as a meteorological observer for a dozen years. Having expended the fuel needed to maintain its orbit over the equator and beginning to drift to higher latitudes, the satellite was transitioned by NOAA to PEACESAT, a nonprofit that provides communication and educational services to the Pacific Islands. Prior to acquiring GOES 7's services, PEACESAT made use of GOES 3 and ATS 3, two of the satellites that also served the U.S. Antarctic Program. In this photograph, a worker checks on a satellite of the GOES 7 class.
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NOAA
ISEE 3/ICE (1978):
The third spacecraft of the International Sun–Earth Explorer (ISEE) program began its work in an orbit between the sun and Earth. From its position there, ISEE 3 monitored cosmic gamma-ray bursts and solar flares before being rechristened the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) in 1982....[More]
ISEE 3/ICE (1978):
The third spacecraft of the International Sun–Earth Explorer (ISEE) program began its work in an orbit between the sun and Earth. From its position there, ISEE 3 monitored cosmic gamma-ray bursts and solar flares before being rechristened the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) in 1982. ICE flew from its original orbit to a rendezvous with Comet Giacobini-Zinner in 1985 and then investigated Comet Halley the following year.
In 1997 operations for the ISEE 3/ICE spacecraft finally concluded. But its stable orbit allowed NASA's Deep Space Network to locate and contact the spacecraft in September 2008. ISEE 3/ICE is making its way back and should approach Earth's vicinity around 2014; the spacecraft's former flight director Robert Farquhar says it should still be in good shape. With enough fuel left to maneuver the spacecraft, Farquhar would like to see ISEE 3/ICE revived and returned to its original orbit between the sun and Earth, where it could become a relatively inexpensive space project for students to work on.
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NASA
LANDSAT 5 (1984):
The U.S. Geological Survey's Earth-observing Landsat 5 has captured hundreds of thousands of photographs of our changing planet in its 25 years on orbit....[More]
LANDSAT 5 (1984):
The U.S. Geological Survey's Earth-observing Landsat 5 has captured hundreds of thousands of photographs of our changing planet in its 25 years on orbit. (The U.S. Geological Survey says the satellite was designed for three years of service.) The orbiter has tracked the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the burn scars left by fires in Yellowstone National Park. As recently as March Landsat 5 was in position to witness an eruption of Mount Redoubt in Alaska, just days after the volcano first sprang to life after 20 years of dormancy.
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NASA
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE (1990):
Thanks to a series of complex servicing missions by space shuttle astronauts, the Hubble Space Telescope, deployed one shuttle flight prior to the now-defunct Ulysses, is still going strong 19 years into its operational life....[More]
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE (1990):
Thanks to a series of complex servicing missions by space shuttle astronauts, the Hubble Space Telescope, deployed one shuttle flight prior to the now-defunct Ulysses, is still going strong 19 years into its operational life. The most recent servicing mission, in May, will likely be humankind's final visit to the telescope, which has provided astronomers with some of their best views of the universe. With a slew of new parts and upgraded instruments, Hubble should continue to inform the fields of cosmology and astrophysics, helping to elucidate the origin and evolution of the universe, for at least five to 10 more years.
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NASA
LAGEOS 1 (1976):
The LAGEOS 1 (Laser Geodynamics Satellite) and its younger counterpart LAGEOS 2, launched in 1992, are passive satellites, meaning there is precious little to break or go wrong....[More]
LAGEOS 1 (1976):
The LAGEOS 1 (Laser Geodynamics Satellite) and its younger counterpart LAGEOS 2, launched in 1992, are passive satellites, meaning there is precious little to break or go wrong. The LAGEOS twins are 60-centimeter-wide spheres with 426 reflectors each, designed to provide ground stations with a reference point for accurate ranging data. By bouncing laser light off a stably orbiting LAGEOS, the position of a ground station can be determined to within a few centimeters, generating a long-term data set to track tectonic drift and the changing of Earth's axial tilt. NASA expects the LAGEOS satellites to remain in orbit for eight million years.
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NASA
YES! Send me a free issue of Scientific American with no obligation to continue the subscription. If I like it, I will be billed for the one-year subscription.
John, Excellent Summary, thank you for your research. As an Amateur Radio Operator, every time I make a contact with another operator using AO-7 , the "Grand Old Lady", I'm aware of this "bird" that rises again, thank you. pete WB2OQQ
What, no mention of the Iridium satellites? I'm disappointed. I know they were launched beginning in 1997 but they are an array of over 70 satellites that have outlived their designed life yet are still in use. For the complexity of such an array I'd say they deserve some mention. I'm only peeved because I specified the coatings on the antennae for these satellites and aside from running into the occasional Russian satellite, they have performed remarkably well.
Just an idle thought: If we know the positions of the voyagers, wouldn't they provide the longest parallax ranging baseline we've ever possessed? Since our range data is largely hiearchal based on measured distances to known Cepheids, couldn't a few plates from the voyagers improve the accuracy of our whole scale of astronomical ranges?
9. FeverDog
in reply to Europamoon10012:19 PM 7/31/09
I read D.A.W.'s comments and hear them in my head in the voice of the character "Comic Book Guy" from the Simpsons cartoon.
Pedantic, arrogant, ...lonely.
His antennae twitch as he peruses the World Wide Web tasked with purging archaic word-usage and correcting grammatical minutiae.
Perhaps he could be repurposed for work on a reality television series where he would be locked in a cage of screaming macaques while bragging about his impressive academic pedigree.
10. FeverDog
in reply to Europamoon10012:20 PM 7/31/09
I read D.A.W.'s comments and hear them in my head in the voice of the character "Comic Book Guy" from the Simpsons cartoon.
Pedantic, arrogant, ...lonely.
His antennae twitch as he peruses the World Wide Web tasked with purging archaic word-usage and correcting grammatical minutiae.
Perhaps he could be repurposed for work on a reality television series where he would be locked in a cage of screaming macaques while bragging about his impressive academic pedigree.
Why is it always "egghead" types that ALWAYS respond in a condensending manner and then ALWAYS include their "accomplishments" so as to legitimize their comments? Souldns like a liberal, democrat elitest to me...!
The last photo, "Family Portrait" and the pale blue dot in the ray of sunlight: The ray, according to the location from the camera's position when the image was taken, has to be like a wave from the Sun. That means as there are three rays seen, there must be more rays all the way back to the ball of fire from which the rays originated. The rays would also extend out to the equatorial area of the heliosphere, and be striking that area exactly where the bright circle has been quite recently discovered. How could they have the energy to excite the heliosphere's equatorial area's captured positive energied proton gas from the solar wind's 80% content? That would be as the circles of sunlight are not circles, but are electromagnetic field lines (EM-FL), of which there are 16. Each of those EM-FL is an induced energy from the upper surface of each of the equatorial dynamos in the convection zone. Those 16 dynamos had been called - internal weather big fronts at the equator, while investigators call them equatorial big cells. - Sacha Brun, of France, as reported in arxiv.org, had been looking at small upper latitude tapered cells, which are merely a portion of one north and to the left EM-FL from its dynamo to the polar circle as it lines up for its exit to the corona as a loop to return to the opposed face of the dynamo. So, those waves of sunlight are spiraled EM-FL whose energy comes from the 16 dynamos, and which receive an induced current through the tachocline and from each of the sixteen magnetic toroids in the radiative zone where at each fusion reaction takes place. The reason for there not being much visibility to the EM-FL is because being an induced energy from a rotating disk of a grouping of electrons, in a dynamo, and as the 4 groupings in each dynamo rotate so that their each opposed pair of EM-FL contact the induction systems unattached conductor to the heliosphere on an on/off situation and are therefore an AC current, which does not exhibit as large a magnetic surround as does a DC conductor. The electrics of that situation are listed in any EM instruction manual as the induction principle. That fact of the dynamo is listed under the properties of ionized plasma. The spiraled arms from each dynamo are listed as galaxy-like arms in a small novel: ISBN 978-0-9784457-1-3. There is another energy from the toroids fusion reaction zones, which is the reason that the induced energy spiraled solar plane arms arc at the heliosphere's equatorial area, but that clarity takes more room than is available in this little comment section. The Ancient One: Eddie R.
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New Telescope Opens Its Eyes
Three-Star Performance
Supernovae Back Einstein's "Blunder"
Astronomers Find Most Ancient Planet Yet
16 Comments
Add CommentJohn, Excellent Summary, thank you for your research. As an Amateur Radio Operator, every time I make a contact with another operator using AO-7 , the "Grand Old Lady", I'm aware of this "bird" that rises again, thank you. pete WB2OQQ
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat, no mention of the Iridium satellites? I'm disappointed. I know they were launched beginning in 1997 but they are an array of over 70 satellites that have outlived their designed life yet are still in use. For the complexity of such an array I'd say they deserve some mention.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm only peeved because I specified the coatings on the antennae for these satellites and aside from running into the occasional Russian satellite, they have performed remarkably well.
there's a guy in australia called dr karl who's worth following
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYay for Voyagers 1 and 2! These are the little spacecraft that could and did and are still doing. I am SO proud!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAgree with you.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThank you!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLANDSAT5 (1984-20__). Designed for 3 years service; what a bargain.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust an idle thought:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf we know the positions of the voyagers, wouldn't they provide the longest parallax ranging baseline we've ever possessed?
Since our range data is largely hiearchal based on measured distances to known Cepheids, couldn't a few plates from the voyagers improve the accuracy of our whole scale of astronomical ranges?
I read D.A.W.'s comments and hear them in my head in the voice of the character "Comic Book Guy" from the Simpsons cartoon.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPedantic, arrogant, ...lonely.
His antennae twitch as he peruses the World Wide Web tasked with purging archaic word-usage and correcting grammatical minutiae.
Perhaps he could be repurposed for work on a reality television series where he would be locked in a cage of screaming macaques while bragging about his impressive academic pedigree.
E.D.U.
I read D.A.W.'s comments and hear them in my head in the voice of the character "Comic Book Guy" from the Simpsons cartoon.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPedantic, arrogant, ...lonely.
His antennae twitch as he peruses the World Wide Web tasked with purging archaic word-usage and correcting grammatical minutiae.
Perhaps he could be repurposed for work on a reality television series where he would be locked in a cage of screaming macaques while bragging about his impressive academic pedigree.
E.D.U.
hey Europamoon100, is Anal Retentive also a 'jargon phrase'?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell, at least we know what will happen to Voyager in the future. Wierd that it would want a human to "mate" with.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNicely done ... good for a chuckle
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy is it always "egghead" types that ALWAYS respond in a condensending manner and then ALWAYS include their "accomplishments" so as to legitimize their comments? Souldns like a liberal, democrat elitest to me...!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy do you write a comment that adds nothing and shows the world your poor grammar and syntax?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAdd name calling on top and you are obviously a class(less) act.
We do not just "need the informations" - the way it is presented also matters. Please go back to school, as many contributors at SciAm should also.
The last photo, "Family Portrait" and the pale blue dot in the ray of sunlight: The ray, according to the location from the camera's position when the image was taken, has to be like a wave from the Sun. That means as there are three rays seen, there must be more rays all the way back to the ball of fire from which the rays originated. The rays would also extend out to the equatorial area of the heliosphere, and be striking that area exactly where the bright circle has been quite recently discovered.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow could they have the energy to excite the heliosphere's equatorial area's captured positive energied proton gas from the solar wind's 80% content?
That would be as the circles of sunlight are not circles, but are electromagnetic field lines (EM-FL), of which there are 16. Each of those EM-FL is an induced energy from the upper surface of each of the equatorial dynamos in the convection zone. Those 16 dynamos had been called - internal weather big fronts at the equator, while investigators call them equatorial big cells. - Sacha Brun, of France, as reported in arxiv.org, had been looking at small upper latitude tapered cells, which are merely a portion of one north and to the left EM-FL from its dynamo to the polar circle as it lines up for its exit to the corona as a loop to return to the opposed face of the dynamo.
So, those waves of sunlight are spiraled EM-FL whose energy comes from the 16 dynamos, and which receive an induced current through the tachocline and from each of the sixteen magnetic toroids in the radiative zone where at each fusion reaction takes place.
The reason for there not being much visibility to the EM-FL is because being an induced energy from a rotating disk of a grouping of electrons, in a dynamo, and as the 4 groupings in each dynamo rotate so that their each opposed pair of EM-FL contact the induction systems unattached conductor to the heliosphere on an on/off situation and are therefore an AC current, which does not exhibit as large a magnetic surround as does a DC conductor.
The electrics of that situation are listed in any EM instruction manual as the induction principle. That fact of the dynamo is listed under the properties of ionized plasma. The spiraled arms from each dynamo are listed as galaxy-like arms in a small novel: ISBN 978-0-9784457-1-3.
There is another energy from the toroids fusion reaction zones, which is the reason that the induced energy spiraled solar plane arms arc at the heliosphere's equatorial area, but that clarity takes more room than is available in this little comment section.
The Ancient One: Eddie R.