• Electromagnetic Spectrum

• Electromagnetic spectrum

• Energy from the Sun

• The Seasons and Axis  Tilt
   

• Renewable and nonrenewable energy sources can be used to produce secondary  energy sources including electricity and hydrogen.

• Summer happens in the hemisphere tilted towards the Sun, and winter happens in  the hemisphere tilted away from the Sun. <!--/*ImageCaptionMid-->
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• The SORCE spacecraft was launched on January 25, 2003

• Launched on January 25, 2003. - johngray on 2007-11-23

• Specifications

                         

  Satellite  Mass:	290kg	SORCE satellite in Earth Orbit.
  Power:	348 Watts
  Communications:	Redundant S-Band Transceivers
  Inertial Pointing:	Slew Rate > 1°/sec Knowledge < 60 arcsec
  Solar Arrays:	Fixed GaAs
  Redundancy:	Nearly fully redundant
  Orbit:	645km, 40° inclination
  Mission Life:	5-year (6-year goal)
  Dimensions:	62" height, 45.5" diameter
  Launch Vehicle:	Pegasus XL

• Explains how long SORCE is supposed to last

  
  

  Random Information

  - johngray on 2007-11-23

•    

  SORCE - Orbit Data

  | Home  | Info  | Passes  | Help|

   

   

       

  View from above orbital plane	View from above satellite
  Ground track

   

  The orbit data is extracted from the following two-line orbital elements,

  1 27651U 03004A   07326.16973779  .00000101  00000-0  28361-4 0  4659 2 27651 039.9964 234.0515 0026322 319.0766 040.8051 14.81996341261250 

   

   

                       

  Epoch (UTC):	4:04:25 AM, Thursday, November 22, 2007
  Eccentricity:	0.0026322
  Inclination:	039.9964°
  Perigee Height:	604 km
  Apogee Height:	641 km
  Right Ascension of Ascending Node:	234.0515°
  Argument of Perigee:	319.0766°
  Revolutions per Day:	14.81996341
  Mean Anomaly at Epoch:	040.8051°
  Orbit Number at Epoch:	26125

   

  The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the satellite is in the earth's  shadow, and the full part is where it is sunlit.

• Explains some things about the satellites orbit - johngray on 2007-11-23

• The primary goal of the NASA Earth Observing Systems (EOS) SOlar Radiation and  Climate Experiment (SORCE) is to enable solar-terrestrial studies by providing  precise daily measurements of the total solar irradiance (TSI) and the solar spectral irradiance (SSI)  at wavelenths extending from the untraviolet to the near infrared. The  following lists the SORCE mission objecives:
  

• Explains the goals of SORCE - johngray on 2007-11-22

• SORCE

   

  Launched January 25, 2003 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida

   

  SORCE observations are improving our understanding and generating new inquiry  regarding how and why solar variability occurs and how it affects our atmosphere  and climate. This knowledge is used to estimate past and future solar behavior  and climate response.
• To Learn More...

• Relevant Science Focus Areas

   
   
  • Atmospheric Composition 
  • Climate Variability and Change 
  • Water and Energy Cycles
• These sustained and comprehensive observations include the measurement of solar  irradiance as the dominant direct energy input to land, ocean, and atmosphere.

• Make precise and accurate measurements of the total solar irradiance (TSI).  These observations are connected to previous TSI measurements to form a  long-term record of solar influences on Earth. SORCE TSI measurements have an  absolute accuracy of 0.01% and a long-term relative accuracy of 0.001% (10 ppm)  per year.

   

  Establish a precise data set of solar spectral irradiance (SSI) measurements  of the visible and near infrared suitable for future climate studies. These  daily SSI measurements are from 200-2000 nm with a spectral resolution (Δλ/λ) of  < 1/30, an absolute accuracy of 0.03% and a precision and relative accuracy  of better than 0.01% per year.

   

  Make daily measurements of the solar ultraviolet irradiance from 115-320 nm  with a spectral resolution of 0.1 nm. This measure-ment has an absolute accuracy  of better than 5% and a long-term relative accuracy of 0.5% per year. The  stellar comparisons to a number of bright, early-type stars are used as an  in-flight calibra-tion to correct possible changes in the instrument  responsivity.

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• Pretty much just explains what the satellites job is and what it is trying to find. - johngray on 2007-11-22