NASA's GOLD instrument captures its first image of Earth

NASA 's worldwide member and disk observations, or GOLD, have been activated and opened its cover to sweep the Earth for the first time, creating a first – light image of the world. Western hemisphere in the ultraviolet. GOLD will provide an unprecedented global scale imagery of temperature and composition at the dynamic boundary between the Earth 's atmosphere and space.

The instrument was launched in Kourou, Guyana, on January 25, 2018, aboard the SES-14 satellite and reached the geostationary orbit in June 2018. After verification of the satellite payload and communication GOLD puts into service is appraised-started Sept. 4.

Scientists from the team conducted a day of observations on September 11, during the verification of the instruments, allowing them to produce the "first light" image of GOLD presented here. Commissioning will continue in early October as the team continues to prepare the instrument for its two-year scientific mission.

Built by LASP and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, GOLD is NASA's first scientific mission to fly an instrument as a payload hosted on a commercial satellite. The instrument data, consisting of two identical ultraviolet imaging spectrographs, will improve our understanding of the impact of the Sun on the upper Earth's atmosphere, as well as the effects of Earth time below.

"Gold is an incredible technological breakthrough," said GOLD Senior Researcher Richard Eastes, a LASP researcher. "After years of exams, tests, tests and other tests, the instrument finally makes observations of the Earth. The main act has begun. These are the scientific teams and engineers responsible for the construction and calibration of the instrument. that we have reached this important stage of the mission. "

With NASA's ionospheric connection explorer (ICON), which is scheduled to launch this fall, GOLD is a key part of NASA's program to explore Earth's boundaries with space. and atmospheric inputs.

"The successful launch of GOLD and the acquisition of initial data is a fantastic result," said Bill McClintock, GOLD Instrument Specialist at LASP. "His data will help us understand the vital role played by the sun in space weather and enable us to better protect astronauts and our technological assets on which we have become so dependent in today's society."

Changes in the near-Earth space can affect our lives on Earth by disrupting the use of satellites for communications and navigation. The result can be lost messages, flight delays, GPS signal interruptions and satellite TV failures. Incoming solar energy can also damage the electronic components and detectors of spacecraft and expose astronauts to radiation-related health risks. The more we understand the fundamental nature of our space environment, the better we can protect those interests.

Related Links

Observations at the global level of the member and the disc

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