Sounding Rockets
(Continued From Page 2)
"We’re nere to serve the
customer," Gurldn says with a
ring of southern hospitality. "If
the customer isn’t happy, then
we’re not doing a go^ job."
Tliat customer most often is a
university scientist. "We can
put the instrument in space
where and when it needs to be
there."
The average mission, Gurkin
continues, costs somewhere
around $2(X),(XX) per year, and
may include seven or eight
Oights over a period of years.
"That’s not a lot of money in
space science these days."
All space-science disciplines
are included in NASA’s
sounding rocket program, such
as research in high-energy
strophysics, galactic
[ronomy, solar physics and
upper atmospheric research.
Typically, Gurkin says,
researchers look at large, bright,
easily tracked objects like the
.sun and the planets, and their
observations do not require long
.flight times.
"On average, there’s about six
minutes for the experiment to
^0 its thing," Gurkin says. The
■e»!on; Sounding rot..et flights
iu-st a maximum of 20 minutes.
The near-vertical flights with
..he largest sounding rockets can
exceed 800 miles in altitude;
however, all of the flights are
guborbital.
In general, the rockets range
from one to four stages, each
filled with propellant,
depending on the size of the
payload and how high they are
to be boosted into space.
Surplus rocket motors are often
used for the program, Gurkin
says, which contributes to cost
efficiency.
The Smithsonian’s Golub
regan his research program in
.986. To date, his experiment
las flown five times, and he
plans one flight a year for the
remainder of the current solar
cycle, v/hich began in 1986.
The solar cycle is a period of
about 11 years between "solar
minimums" when sunspot
activity is lowest
The payload sent up on each
flight is the "Normal Incidence
X-ray Telescope," or NIXT,
built for Golub’s research by
engineers at the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory and
scientists at the IBM Thomas J.
Watson Research Center in
Yorktown Heights, N.Y. At the
heart of the telescope is a
special mirror — built by IBM
scientist Dr. Eberhard Spiller —
that allows very high-resolution
X-ray images of the sun’s
corona to be focused on fdm
without contamination by other
wavelengths of energy radiated
by the sun. "Basically, our goal
is just to see it [the corona]
better," Golub says.
The most recent launch of the
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9. Brush away
1C. Assign
12. Wary
(Scot)
5. Celerity
6. German
river
7. Pillowcase
8. Food fish
(W.L)
9. Crust on a
wound
13. Viscous mud 11. Seesaw
14. Cunning
18. Russian
plain
18. Shortest
route
15. Scoffed
17. Cut of
lamb
18. Hostelry
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37. Undressed
telescope was during the July
1991 solar eclipse. The path of
totality — when the moor
completely blocks light coming
from the sun — for this eclipse
covered Mauna Kea in Hawaii,
which also happens to be the
site of a major astronomical
observatory.
Golub and his colleagues took
advantage of this coincidence,
the first in modem memory. At
the very moment totality began
in Hawaii, the NIXT was
launched in New Mexico. The
five-minute rocket flight nearly
matched the duration of totality'
in Hawaii, during which time
Golub’s experiment recorded
the seething corona as seen over
the face of the uneclipsed sun.
At the same time, scientists
from the University of Hawaii’s
Institute foi Astronomy
observed and photographed the
corona extending beyond the
sun, a phenomenon which can
best be seen in visible light
from Earth during an eclipse. In
the Canary Islands off the coast
of Africa — again, at the same
moment in time-other
researchers looked at the
uneclipsed sun in white light to
complement Golub’s X-ray
images of the solar disk.
The observations in multiple
wavelengths will help create an
improved three-dimensional
model of the sun’s corona. Such
a model will help solar
researchers better understand
thermal dynamics in the corona
as well as magnetic fields and
how they are linked to sunspots
and solar flares. In addition, the
model may help discover what
heats this thin atmospheric layer
to such high temperatures.
During the most recent launch
at White Sands, Golub seemed
happy with the success of his
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Smithsonian News Service Photo by William Schulz
This Terrier Black Brant sounding rocket recently carried
aloft a telescope to photograph the sun. The telescope was
built by IBM and Smithsonian scientists.
mission, at least with what he
could tell of real-time images
beamed from the telescope to a
video screen at the launch site.
When the screen went blank, he
walked outside to wait for a
helicopter that would take him
to recover the telescope and
film.
"What do you think, Leon?"
«asked an observer there to
witness the launch. Golub
smiled, hel .i cigar in his teeth
and gave tl ictory sign.
ASTRO-DES >NY
ARIES
Mar. 21 - Apr, 19
Jealousy can wreck a valued relationship. The clock
will be agoinst you. You work hord and still cannot
keep up.
TAURUS
Apr. 20 - May 20
Watch exjt for an overly emotional state in o relation
who is close to you. A firm hand is needed.
GEMINI
May 21 - June 20
CANCER
June 21 - July 22
Your Imoginotion con play havoc with you. Brooding
will get you nowhere. Think positively!
Frivolity seems to be utmost this week. Take time
and really enjoy yourself. The serious things will be
LEO
July 23 - Auff. 22
Vour moods vary so much this week that you will not
be the easiest person to live with. It’s a good time
to seek solitude.
VIRGO
Auff. 23 Sept. 22
Distractions me many this week. Don’t be deterred
from your main purpose. Perseverance pays off.
LIBRA
Sept. 23 - Oct. 22
You unbend In your feelings for others, and it is a
great improvement towards family relotionships.
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
Relying on one's self is not the only answer. Others
are only to eager to assist you.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
Don't try to run the whole show. Not only is it im
possible, but it could be hazardous to your health.
Your good deeds ore mounting ond the benefits ore
shored v)rlth older folks. Helping others is in reality
helping yourself.
AQUARIUS
Jen. 20 - Feb. 18
PISCES
Feb. 19- Mar. 20
®TML74
You must piece emphosis (
you and your fomlly.
1 the long range plans for
Now is the time to give o great deol of thought to
your future. Ypu con succeed if you ore'.wiliirte to
moke sacrifices. . T