Music.
For thousands of years, shimmering auroras like the Northern Lights have dazzled our eyes and remained a curious phenomenon.
While we know how they form, the reasons for their unpredictable behavior are still a mystery.
NASA's THEMIS mission is about to change that.
I'm Garrett Skrobot, mission manager for the THEMIS mission and NASA's Launch Services Program.
THEMIS is a tricky mission involving the deployment of five small satellites with just one rocket.
It's my job to ensure that the quintet of satellites and their vehicle work
together flawlessly as they race into space aboard a Delta II rocket.
The goal of THEMIS is to explain why auroras rapidly shift from glowing curtains of color to frantic streaks of light.
The mission is a joint effort between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland
and universities such as the University of California at Berkeley.
Getting missions like THEMIS off the ground begins years before launch and needs
thoughtful cooperation between the engineers who build the spacecraft and rockets.
The Launch Services Program fosters this team approach by serving as an advisor and
project manager to ensure that everyone is working together for a picture-perfect flight.