Caldwell Internet Express
  Caldwell Internet Express
     4307 Vergie Avenue
 Beltsville, MD 20705-1511		  Voice:(301) 937-1891
    Fax:(301) 937-1934
EMAIL jody@calix.com

Please support these pages by visiting our sponsor!

[Prev][Next][Index]

Earth-Viewing Satellite Would Focus on Educational, Scientific Benefits

Douglas Isbell                                      March 13, 1998
Headquarters, Washington, DC
(Phone:  202/358-1753)

RELEASE:  98-46

EARTH-VIEWING SATELLITE WOULD FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS

     Keying off a concept proposed by Vice President Al Gore, NASA 
is developing plans for a small satellite which could provide 
continuous views of the Earth by the year 2000.

     NASA plans to issue educational, scientific and possibly 
commercial announcements of opportunity within the next few weeks, 
following the Vice PresidentŐs call today for NASA to design, 
build and launch the satellite by 2000.  

     "Vice President Gore has given us an exciting challenge," 
said NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin.  "In the coming weeks, 
we plan to solicit ideas from the academic, environmental, 
scientific and commercial communities.  We will synthesize these 
ideas and communicate with the Congress as we go forward."

     Goldin said NASA envisions "down-to-Earth" applications:  
"This view of our planet can help us plan as fires ravage 
wilderness areas, it may be able to save lives as we watch 
hurricanes and typhoons form and threaten coastlines across the 
grand sweep of ocean basins.  Moreover, we think it is important 
to inspire young minds, provide new perspectives on the planet for 
our scientific community, and perhaps provide commercial 
applications as well.  We're going to pave the way for an Earth 
Channel."

     The satellite concept would place a high definition 
television camera--paired with an eight-inch telescope--into an 
orbit at a unique vantage point a million miles from Earth where 
it could provide 24-hour views of the home planet.  It would orbit 
at a point in space where the gravitational attraction of the Sun 
and the Earth essentially cancel one another out, allowing the 
satellite to constantly view a fully sunlit hemisphere.

     "We want to directly involve university students, teamed with 
industry and government, in the design, development, operations 
and data analysis from this unique venture," said Dr. Ghassem 
Asrar, NASA Associate Administrator for Earth Science.  "It would 
allow scientists to track natural events such as hurricanes, large 
fires and volcano plumes.  We expect further innovative 
applications to blossom as we let this singular view inspire the 
imaginations of all the citizens of planet Earth."  

     Early plans envision a 330-pound satellite linked to Earth 
through three simple, low cost ground stations equally spaced 
around the globe to provide continuous downlink capability.  One 
new image would be downlinked every few minutes.  The satellite 
would be developed and launched within two years of a competitive 
selection process.  College students would participate in the 
design and development of the spacecraft, and student teams would 
operate the ground stations.  The total mission cost, including 
launch and operations, would not exceed $50 million.  

                        - end -