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NASA has selected three proposals for concept studies of missions to investigate the complex system of space weather that surrounds our planet and how it\u2019s connected to Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n
The three concepts propose how to enact the DYNAMIC (Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling) mission, which was recommended by the 2013 Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics. The DYNAMIC mission is designed to study how changes in Earth\u2019s lower atmosphere influence our planet\u2019s upper atmosphere, where space weather like auroras and satellite disruptions are manifested. This knowledge will benefit humanity by helping us understand how space weather can interfere with crucial technology like navigation systems and satellites.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarth and space are an interconnected system that reaches from the heart of our solar system, the Sun, to the lowest reaches of the atmosphere where we live and extends to the edge of our heliosphere \u2013 the boundary of interstellar space,\u201d said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cWhile space weather can spark the beautiful auroras across our skies, it also has the potential to cause disruptions for us here on Earth and can be dangerous for our spacecraft and astronauts in space. The DYNAMIC mission will expand our understanding of how Earth itself shapes space weather events that influence our home planet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The DYNAMIC mission is designed to make measurements within Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere between about 50-125 miles (80-200 kilometers) in altitude. With multiple spacecraft, DYNAMIC\u2019s simultaneous observations from different locations can give scientists a more complete picture of how waves propagate upwards through this part of the atmosphere.<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s fiscal year 2023 appropriation directed NASA to initiate this first phase of study. As the first step of a two-step selection process, each proposal will receive $2 million for a concept study. NASA solicited missions with a cost cap of $250 million, which does not include the launch. The studies will last nine months.<\/p>\n
The selected concept teams are:<\/p>\n
Key partners include Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland; NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; and Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u2019s Haystack Observatory in Westford, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n
Key partners include BAE Systems in Westminster, Colorado, and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington.<\/p>\n
Key partners include Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah, Global Atmospheric Technologies and Sciences in Newport News, Virginia, and Computational Physics, Inc. in Boulder, Colorado.<\/p>\n
For more information on NASA heliophysics missions, visit:<\/p>\n
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Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.fox@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Sarah Frazier
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center
202-853-7191
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov<\/p>\n<\/div>\n