Launched Rocket Jettisons Five Satellites

Launched Rocket Jettisons Five Satellites
By Michael F. Haverluck
February 17, 2007

CBNNews.com -- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- One hour after blast-off, a single rocket jettisoned five scientific satellites into space.

University of California at Berkeley scientists report from their ground station that approximately half-an-hour after the five satellites separated from the rocket, they were able to initiate signals from each one.

"Everything looks picture-perfect," remarked a NASA spokeswoman.

After approximately two months, the probes will begin relaying information to scientists for many years into the future, if things go as planned.

When the five satellites begin their intended functions, they will magnetically map the region of North America every four days for a duration of about 15 to 20 hours, which will work in conjunction with 20 separate ground stations.

The $200 million Themis mission was launched in order to figure out the cause of powerful geomagnetic substorms discovered in the earth's atmosphere.

Potential problems initiated from the storms range from inoperative power grids, disabled communications satellites and high radiation levels cast on spacewalking astronauts and airline passengers traveling over northern latitudes in the earth's atmosphere.

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