Why is GOLD measuring the upper atmosphere?
GOLD measures the upper atmosphere, which is directly affected by the Sun
and what we call space weather.
Scientists are working to better be able to predict space weather
because it directly affects the safety of our satellites,
the health of our astronauts,
and the technologies that we use every day in our life like GPS navigation.
Where will GOLD be in space?
GOLD will be sitting 22,000 miles above Earth,
which means that it can see a whole half of the Earth
- all of the Western Hemisphere
and it will be hovering over one particular point on Earth
watching the dynamics of the atmosphere play out below.
Why are you excited about GOLD?
I am excited about this mission because GOLD
will be getting information about the upper atmosphere much faster than ever before
and we’ll be able to look at effects that are more like the weather we experience down here on Earth.
What will GOLD and ICON give scientists?
The GOLD and ICON missions will give scientists
the most comprehensive view we’ve ever had of the upper atmosphere.