Future Plans of the LASP/CU Rocket Experiment

Rocket Picture NASA 36.240 - April 2008 Team Picture

2009 Launch for SDO EVE

The next launch of our rocket payload is planned for March 2009 from the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). This flight's primary purpose is to provide the first underflight calibration for our SDO EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) satellite instrument. The SDO launch is planned for December 2008. This rocket will also provide a calibration for our TIMED Solar EUV Experiment (SEE) satellite instrument. The SDO calibration rocket launch will be about 3 months after SDO is launched, allowing time for SDO to arrive to its geosynchronous orbit location and time to activate / test the EVE instrument before starting routine solar observations. This calibration rocket flight would slip if the SDO launch slips.

Date / Time

The optimal launch window will be determined after SDO is launched.

The launch time will be near local noon to provide the least amount of atmospheric absorption for the solar measurements made from WSMR. The time window is also set based on the times of the solar measurements by SDO EVE and TIMED SEE instruments.

Location

The launch facility is the NASA sounding rocket facility at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico. NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC) supports this experiment along with their subcontractors at the WSMR Naval Research Rocket Support Office and Physical Science Laboratory (PSL/NMSU).

Previous Launches

Launch Time Picture

Previous Launches from the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico:

  1. NASA 21.101 (PI: Woods, LASP/CU) was on Nov. 10, 1988 at 19:00 UT
  2. NASA 36.054 (PI: Rottman, LASP/CU) was on June 20, 1989 at 19:00 UT
  3. NASA 36.098 (PI: Woods, LASP/CU) was on Oct. 27, 1992 at 18:30 UT
  4. NASA 36.107 (PI: Woods, HAO/NCAR) was on Oct. 4, 1993 at 17:45 UT
  5. NASA 36.124 (PI: Woods, HAO/NCAR) was on Nov. 3, 1994 at 18:45 UT
  6. NASA 36.135 (PI: Woods, LASP/CU) was on May 15, 1997 at 19:16 UT
  7. NASA 36.171 (PI: Hassler, SwRI) was on Nov. 2, 1998 at 18:20 UT
  8. NASA 36.192 (PI: Woods, LASP/CU) was on Feb. 8, 2002 at 18:41 UT
  9. NASA 36.205 (PI: Woods, LASP/CU) was on Aug. 12, 2003 at 18:23:30 UT
  10. NASA 36.217 (PI: Woods, LASP/CU) was on Oct. 15, 2004 at 17:28:34 UT
  11. NASA 36.233 (PI: Woods, LASP/CU) was on Oct. 28, 2006 at 17:58:00 UT
  12. NASA 36.240 (PI: Woods, LASP/CU) was on Apr. 14, 2008 at 16:58:00 UT

Return to Rocket Home Page

Go to LASP home page

Revised Apr. 15, 2008