A team at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder has received a $2 million award to develop a concept study for a NASA mission that will investigate how Earth’s lower atmosphere influences the upper atmosphere. The results will improve and expand our understanding of the space weather system surrounding our planet.
The group, which is led by LASP researcher Aimee Merkel, is one of three selected by NASA to develop detailed proposals for the agency’s DYNAMIC (Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling) mission. DYNAMIC will make measurements in Earth’s upper atmosphere using multiple spacecraft to enable simultaneous observations from different locations. These data will provide scientists with information that can be used for predictions and forecasts to help minimize the disruption of critical assets during space weather events. Each team will receive funding to develop a detailed concept study, including technical aspects of the spacecraft and science payloads.
“Scientists have long studied how space weather affects Earth, but not as much is known about how Earth’s lower atmosphere affects space weather,” said Aimee Merkel, the principal investigator for LASP’s mission proposal. “We’re honored to have this opportunity to further develop our mission concept. DYNAMIC is critical to answering long-standing questions about how Earth interacts with our sun.”
The DYNAMIC mission is vital to the Heliophysics community as it will answer longstanding questions related to how Earth interacts with the sun.
Additional partners for the concept study include BAE Systems in, Boulder, Colorado, the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. and Computational Physics Inc. in Springfield, Virginia.
Each of the three winning teams will receive funding for a nine-month Phase A concept study, after which NASA will select one winning proposal. The mission, the cost of which is capped at $250 million excluding the cost of launch, will accomplish science goals recommended by the 2013 Decadal Strategy for Solar and Space Physics, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
“LASP is very excited to be selected for this opportunity,” said LASP Director Dan Baker. “The data from this mission will provide societally important knowledge that can help protect astronauts and near-Earth spacecraft while also fulfilling key decadal survey science goals.”
By Terri Cook, Head of Communications
Founded a decade before NASA, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder is on a mission to revolutionize human understanding of the cosmos by pioneering new technologies and approaches to space science. The institute is at the forefront of solar, planetary, and space physics research, climate and space-weather monitoring, and the search for evidence of habitable worlds. LASP is also deeply committed to inspiring and educating the next generation of space explorers. From the first exploratory rocket measurements of Earth’s upper atmosphere to trailblazing observations of every planet in the solar system, LASP continues to build on its remarkable history with a nearly $1 billion portfolio of new research and engineering programs, backed by superb data analysis, reliable mission operations, and skilled administrative support.
