HELLO AND WELCOME
WE ARE HERE AT CAPE CANAVERAL
AIR FORCE STATION IN FLORIDA.
GETTING READY FOR THE LAUNCH OF NASA's
IONOSPHERIC CONNECTION EXPLORER. THAT IS ICON FOR SHORT.
I AM KAREN FOX AND WE'RE GOING TO
BE TALKING ABOUT THIS PLANE
RIGHT BEHIND ME. THAT'S AN L1011.
THAT'S GOING TO HELP LAUNCH ICON UP INTO SPACE
WE'RE GOING TO GO INSIDE AND
WE'RE GOING TO WALK AROUND.
BUT BEFORE THAT, WE ARE TALKING TO
SCOTT ENGLAND. HE IS THE PROJECT
SCIENTIST FOR ICON FROM VIRGINIA
TECH IN BLACKSBERG, VIRGINIA.
WELCOME.
>> WELCOME.
>> START OUT JUST TELLING US ABOUT THE
IONOSPHERIC CONNECTION EXPLORER.
WHAT IS THE IONOSPHERE?
>> THE IONOSPHERE IS THE VERY TOP OF EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.
IT'S THIS REGION WHERE OUR ATMOSPHERE REACHES SPACE.
THE FIRST REGION THAT SUNLIGHT
HITS WHEN IT REACHES OUR ATMOSPHERE.
AND AT THESE ALTITUDES
THE SUNLIGHT IS ABLE TO BREAK APART
THE ATOMS AND MOLECULES AND
ENERGIZE THEM AND IONIZE THEM
FORMING CHARGED
PARTICLES AND WE CALL THESE CHARGED PARTICLES THE IONOSPHERE.
BECAUSE THEY'RE CHARGED
THIS CAN INTERACT WITH
SPACECRAFT AND RADIO SIGNALS SUCH AS
AS GPS THAT TRY TO PASS THROUGH THIS REGION.
WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THESE
CHARGE PARTICLES AND THEIR
BEHAVIOR.
ANOTHER PHENOMENA THAT WE GET IN
THIS REGION AS THE SUNLIGHT
ENERGIZES AND IONIZES THE
PARTICLES THEY'RE ABLE TO EMIT
LIGHT.
WE CALL THIS AIRGLOW AND THIS
IS A REALLY FASCINATING PHENOMENA OF THIS REGION.
AN EXAMPLE OF AIRGLOW THAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE
SEEN CALLED AURORA WHICH WE
GET NEAR THE NORTH AND SOUTH
POLE AND THAT'S A VERY BRIGHT FORM OF AIRGLOW
BUT THERE IS ACTUALLY AIRGLOW ALL OVER
THE PLANET EVEN ABOVE US RIGHT
NOW.
>> IS IT SOMETHING WE CAN SEE UP THERE
RIGHT NOW?
>> IF WE WENT ABOVE THE
ATMOSPHERE LIKE ASTRONAUTS AT THE SPACE STATION
AND THEY LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE SPACE
STATION AN AT NIGHT THEY SEE
THIS BEAUTIFUL GREEN GLOW, RIGHT
AROUND 60 MILES ABOVE THE
SURFACE ON THE EDGE OF SPACE.
>> SO YOU'VE EXPLAINED ABOUT THE
IONOSPHERE AND HOW THERE
IS A LOT GOING ON THERE AND WE
HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT TO PROTECT
OUR COMMUNICATIONS IN SPACE AND
ASTRONAUTS ARE UP THERE TOO.
WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THEM.
TELL US WHAT ICON IS BRINGING TO
THE TABLE.
WHAT KIND OF OBSERVATIONS WILL
IT HELP WITH?
>> THIS REGION AROUND 60 MILES
OFF THE SURFACE IS REALLY
INACCESSIBLE. IT'S MUCH TOO HIGH
TO FLY AN AIRPLANE LIKE THIS AND GET
MEASUREMENTS. IT'S ALSO TOO LOW TO FLY A
SPACECRAFT THROUGH THIS REGION.
IT'S ALSO THE REGION WHERE WE
THINK THE REAL CONNECTION
BETWEEN OUR ATMOSPHERE AND THE
IONOSPHERE IS TAKING
PLACE.
ICON WILL MAKE USE OF THIS AIR
GLOW SO ICON WILL BE FLYING IN
LOW-EARTH ORBIT AROUND THE TOP OF THE IONOSPHERE, MAKING
MEASUREMENTS FROM ITS ALTITUDE AND DOWN INTO THIS
INACCESSIBLE REGION AND TAKING
IMAGES AND SPECTRA OF THIS AIRGLOW AND
SEEING HOW IS THE AIR MOVING,
WHAT'S THE WIND SPEED, WHAT IS THE
TEMPERATURE AND THEN WHERE ARE
THESE CHARGE PARTICLES BEING
FORMED AND HOW ARE THEY MOVING
AND REALLY SHOW US THIS
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE NEUTRAL
PART OF THE ATMOSPHERE THAT WE
LIVE IN AND THESE IONS ON THE
EDGE OF SPACE.
>> SO YOU'RE DESCRIBING THIS AREA, IT'S CHANGING ALL THE TIME
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON THERE.
WHAT IS MAKING IT CHANGE?
WHAT's DRIVING ALL THAT?
>> SO, WE KNOW THAT THE IONOSPHERE IS FORMED
WHEN SUNLIGHT HITS THE
ATMOSPHERE AND BREAKS APART THE
ATOMS AND MOLECULES.
WE KNOW THAT THE SUN PLAYS A REALLY
IMPORTANT ROLE IN TRANSFORMING
THE IONOSPHERE.
BUT OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS OR SO, WE'VE HAD THESE OBSERVATIONS OF THE IONOSPHERE FROM NASA MISSIONS AND OF THE SUN AND
WE CAN REALLY SAY THAT IT's NOT
JUST CHANGES IN THE SUN THAT ARE
DRIVING WHAT WE SEE IN THE EYE
IONOSPHERE.
THROUGH PIECING TOGETHER THESE OBSERVATIONS OF THE IONOSPHERE
AND BRINGING TOGETHER
OBSERVATIONS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AT MUCH
LOWER ALTITUDES, DOWN NEAR THE SURFACE HERE, WE CAN SEE
REFLECTIONS OF PATTERNS WE SEE,
ESPECIALLY IN LARGE SCALE
WEATHER SYSTEMS LIKE TROPICAL
THUNDERSTORMS AND HOW THEY
CHANGE OVER TIME.
WE THEN SEE AN IMPRINT OF THAT
ON WHERE THE CHARGE PARTICLES
ARE IN THE IONOSPHERE.
WHAT WE THINK IS HAPPENING IS
NOT THAT THE TROPICAL WEATHER
PATTERNS ARE REACHING ALL THE
WAY UP TO THE IONOSPHERE DIRECTLY BUT WE THINK
THAT THEIR INFORMATION IS BEING
COMMUNICATED THERE THROUGH
ATMOSPHERIC WAVES.
LIKE THIS AIRPLANE BEHIND US IF
YOU SEE IT UP IN THE SKY YOU CAN
HEAR ITS ENGINES.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IS NOT THAT
THE AIR FROM THE ENGINES IS
COMING DOWN TO YOUR EARS, BUT
SOUND WAVES ARE TRAVELING
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE FROM THE
ENGINES BRINGING THAT ENERGY AND
THAT INFORMATION TO YOU AND WE
THINK THE SAME SORT OF THING IS
HAPPENING VERY LARGE SCALES
BETWEEN THESE LARGE-SCALE LOWER
ATMOSPHERE WEATHER SYSTEMS
COMMUNICATING ENERGY AND ENERGY
UP TO THE IONOSPHERE
THROUGH ATMOSPHERIC WAVES. AND ICON'S GOING TO GET US
OBSERVATIONS OF THESE BY MEASURING HOW THE
ATMOSPHERE IS MOVING AND HOW THE
IONOSPHERE IS REALLY RESPONDING AND
HOW THE CONNECTION TAKES PLACE.
>> WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW THE
TERRESTRIAL WEATHER AND SPACE
WEATHER ARE CONNECTED WITH ICON.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ALRIGHT. WE'RE NOW GOING TO GO OVER TO
THE PLANE AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT
MORE. WE'RE GOING TO GO TALK TO ED DUNLAP WITH
NORTHROP GRUMMAN. COME ON ALONG!
WE ARE TALKING TO ED DUNLAP WITH
NORTHROP GRUMMAN.
HE MANAGES THE PLANE OPERATIONS.
YOU STILL HAVE BEHIND US THE AIRPLANE
AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT A
STANDARD LAUNCH -- PEOPLE THINK
OF A ROCKET GOING INTO SPACE.
SO, TELL ME ABOUT THIS PLANE AND HOW
IT'S GOING TO GET ICON INTO SPACE.
>> SO, FIRST OF ALL THIS IS A LOCKHEED TRI-STAR
MEANING IT HAS 3 ENGINES.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO
CARRY 3-400 PASSENGERS BUT MY
COMPANY PURCHASED IT AND MODIFIED IT COMPLETELYCOMPANY PURCHASED IT AND MODIFIED IT COMPLETELY
STRUCTURALLY, SO THAT IT CAN MOUNT THIS 52,000-POUND ROCKET TO
THE BELLY OF THE AIRPLANE.
WHAT WE WILL DO, ON DAY OF LAUNCH, IS WE'LL TAKE OFF, FLY UP TO
39,000 FEET WHICH IS OUR DROP
ALTITUDE AND THEN THE AIRPLANE
IS ESSENTIALLY THE FIRST STAGE
SO IT'S A REUSABLE FIRST STAGE. WE CAN BRING IT BACK 187 00:06:13,700 --> 00:06:13,690 AND USE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. THIS WILL BE OUR 38TH LAUNCH OFF
OF THE L-1011. AND
IN THAT TIME PERIOD BECAUSE NOT
EVERY SATELLITE IS A
SINGLE SATELLITE, THIS WILL BE
THE 91ST SATELLITE THAT WE'LL LAUNCH OFF THIS AIRCRAFT.
>> NOW, YOU SAID IT'S A PASSENGER
PLANE. CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS PLANE?
>> IT WAS BUILT IN 1974 AND FOR
15 YEARS IT SERVED AIR CANADA
AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ALL
ACROSS NORTH AMERICA, EVEN
SPENT TIME IN INDIA, FLYING AROUND.
WE PURCHASED IT AND HAD BEEN
USING IT EVER SINCE.
>> AND INSIDE, WHEN WE GO IN
THERE WILL IT STILL HAVE SEATS? WHAT DOES IT LOOK
LIKE IN THERE? >> ACTUALLY BECAUSE OF THE
MODIFICATIONS, THIS AIRPLANE'S
SOLE PURPOSE IS TO GET UP TO ALTITUDE AND
DROP THE ROCKET.
ALL THE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATIONS
EXCEPT ONE LAVATORY, EVERYTHING
ELSE WAS TAKEN OUT TO LIGHTEN
THE LOAD TO GET TO ALTITUDE QUICKLY.
THERE ARE ABOUT A DOZEN
PASSENGER SEATS YOU'LL SEE IN
THE CABIN AND THAT's BECAUSE WE
DO -- LIKE WHEN WE CAME HERE
FROM CALIFORNIA WE DID A CAPTIVE
CARRY FLIGHT. SO WE HAVE EXTRA CREW MEMBERS, ROCKET
TECHNICIANS AND ENGINEERS THAT ACCOMPANY US.
THERE'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY WE MIGHT
HAVE TO OFF LAND AND EVERYTHING
ON BOARD OF THE AIRPLANE WE MAY
NEED FOR ANY CONTINGENCY THAT
MAY HAPPEN.
>> ALRIGHT, YOU TOLD US ABOUT THE PLANE.
TELL US ABOUT THAT ROCKET.
>> THIS IS A GREAT ROCKET.
IT'S A 3-STAGE SOLID BOOSTER ROCKET.
YOU CAN SEE THE FIRST STAGE,
SEPARATION POINT JUST IN FRONT
OF THE WINGS.
THAT GETS TO 180,000 FEET.
THERE'S A SECOND STAGE, THE METAL RING, GETS IT OUT
OF EARTH's ORBIT AND THEN THE
THIRD STAGE GETS IT INTO ITS
PROPER ORBIT.
THE SATELLITE IS IN THE VERY
FRONT OF IT, AND IN THIS PARTICULAR
CASE, IT's GOING UP TO 360 MILES
IN SPACE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE'LL GO INSIDE NOW TO CHECK OUT
THAT PLANE.
I ENJOYED TALKING TO YOU.
THANKS A LOT.
SO NOW HERE WE ARE ABOUT TO
ENTER THE L-1011 AND TALK TO THE
CREW WHO WILL BE WITH THE PLANE
DURING THE LAUNCH.
WE ARE TALKING NOW TO JIM
STOWERS, HE IS THE LAUNCH PLANEL
OPERATOR WHO WILL BE IN THIS
PLANE WHEN ICON LAUNCHES.
HERE WE ARE, I SEE A LOT OF LAUNCH
PANELS.
>> THIS IS THE LAUNCH PANEL
OPERATOR STATION. WHAT WE DO HERE IS
WE MONITOR THE TELEMETRY, STATUS OF THE
ROCKET, THE HEALTH OF SATELLITE. WE ALSO PROVIDE POWER
TO THE FUNCTIONS THAT THE LAUNCH CONDUCTOR HAS US DO ON LAUNCH DAY.
>> SO HERE WE ARE. WE'RE ON LAUNCH DAY, WHAT ARE
YOU ACTUALLY DOING DURING THE
LAUNCH?
>> IT GETS BUSY AT TIMES.
WE'LL MONITOR THE
AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM TO MAKE
SURE WE'RE PROVIDING THE RIGHT
TEMPERATURE INTO THE FARING
FOR THE SATELLITE AND POWERING
UP THE ROCKET AND DOING OUR
SYSTEMS CHECK AS WE GO THROUGH
THE CHECKLIST AND WATCHING
EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON.
>> SO YOU'RE WATCHING TO SEE IF
THE SPACECRAFT IS HEALTHY AND
THE ROCKET IS HEALTHY.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU SEE
SOMETHING THAT's CONCERNING?
>> IF WE SEE SOMETHING WE'LL GET
ON THE RADIO AND TELL THE LAUNCH
CONDUCTOR AND BRING HIS ATTENTION TO IT. HE'LL GE
HIS ENGINEERING TEAM LOOKING AT IT AS WELL.
>> ALL RIGHT.
AND IF EVERYTHING GOES
PERFECTLY, YOU GET TO PUSH THE
BUTTON TO LET IT GO OUT?
>> I GET TO ARM THE RELEASE
MECHANISM BUT DON'T GET TO PUSH
THE BIG BUTTON.
>> WE'LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
PUSHING THE BUTTON SOON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NOW WE'LL GO TO THE COCKPIT.
HELLO DON. >> HEY KAREN. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY.
WE ARE TALKING TO DON WALTER. HE IS A PILOT WHO
WILL BE PILOTING THE PLANE DURING THE LAUNCH.
HOW COOL IS THIS?
>> THIS IS THE BEST JOB IN THE
ENTIRE WORLD ABSOLUTELY.
>> SO WALK US THROUGH WHAT
YOU'RE DOING DURING THE LAUNCH.
>> WELL, A GREAT PART OF THE
LAUNCH TAKES PLACE ON THE GROUND
BEFORE WE TAKE OFF.
WE DO A LOT OF FREE FLIGHT
PLANNING.
I BROUGHT ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT
HERE FOR YOU TO SEE.
MOST OF OUR PLANNING INVOLVES
GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE
ACTUALLY GOING TO LAUNCH THE
ROCKET.
THE POINT WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH
THE ROCKET IS OVER HERE. WE
NEED A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE TO
CLIMB UP TO OUR LAUNCH ALTITUDE.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE
WE'RE SITTING RIGHT HERE IN THE
SKID STRIP.
YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BLUE
FLASHING LIGHT HERE. THE
DISTANCE OUT TO HERE IS ABOUT
114 MILES.
SO ON A CLEAR NIGHT OUR
SPECTATORS WILL BE ABLE TO STAY
ON THE BEACH AND ACTUALLY SEE
THE LAUNCH.
ALTHOUGH WE DO LAUNCH OFF AWAY
FROM FLORIDA, BUT AGAIN THE
MAJORITY WHAT WE DO IS PLANNING
AND THEN ON LAUNCH DAY WE JUST
EXECUTE THE PLAN.
>> SO I'M SEEING THIS GIANT
FIGURE 8 HERE. DOES THAT MEAN YOU CAN GO AROUND
AND AROUND? HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
>> IF YOU FOLOW MY FINGER ALONG,
WHAT WE DO IS WE'VE GOING TO DEPART OUT OF HERE AND WE'VE GIVEN OURSELVES
ABOUT 160 MILES BECAUSE WITH THE
ROCKET ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE
IT TAKES QUITE A WHILE TO CLIMB
UP TO OUR LAUNCH ALTITUDE OF 39,000 FEET.
SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE WE GET TO
OUR LAUNCH ALTITUDE AND COME
BACK THROUGH OUR LAUNCH POINT.
CHECK THE WINDS, CHECK THE
WEATHER AND CHECK THE TURBULENCE
AND FROM THAT POINT I'D SAY IT'S
ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO COME BACK
AROUND THE PATTERN, BACK DOWN TO
THE LAUNCH POINT AND ACTUALLY
LAUNCH THE ROCKET.
YOU SEE THERE'S SORT OF A HORSE
RACE TRACK TYPE PATTERN HERE.
DEPENDING ON WEATHER AND OTHER
FACTORS, WE HAVE BASICALLY TWO
ATTEMPTS TO LAUNCH THE ROCKET.
GENERALLY WE TRY TO LAUNCH ON
THE FIRST TIME BUT WE DO HAVE
THE ABILITY WE CALL A RECYCLE TO
COME BACK AROUND AND FLY THE
PATTERN ONE MORE TIME AND LAUNCH
AGAIN AND AFTERWARDS WE COME
STRAIGHT BACK TO WHERE YOU'RE
SITTING RIGHT NOW.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO I HEARD THE BUTTON TO LAUNCH
IS ACTUALLY UP HERE. IS THAT
WHERE IT IS?
>> IT'S UP HERE AND WE GET THE
COMMAND FROM OUR LAUNCH
COORDINATOR DOWN ON THE GROUND
AND WHEN EVERYBODY AGREES WE'RE IN
THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT
TIME AT THE RIGHT ALTITUDE WE'RE
GIVEN THE GO AHEAD AND LAUNCH
THE ROCKET AND THE BUTTON TO
LAUNCH SITS RIGHT HERE. WE HAVE
TWO PILOTS UP HERE. I'M
FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND MY
COPILOT STEVE, WILL ACTUALLY BE THE ONE
WHO PUSHES THE BUTTON.
>> WALK ME THROUGH THAT.
PAINT ME A PICTURE.
WHAT HAPPENS?
>> WELL, SO A LITTLE BIT OF HIS
BASIC PHYSICS.
AS SOON AS STEVE PUSHES THE
BUTTON THERE IS A HYDRAULIC
RELEASE THAT OPENS AND ALLOWS
THE ROCKET TO LEAVE THE
AIRPLANE.
THE ROCKET WEIGHS 52,000 POUNDS.
YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU LOST
52,000 POUNDS ALL AT ONCE THE
AIRCRAFT STILL HAS THE SAME
AMOUNT OF LIFT SO THE AIRCRAFT
RISES BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE
WEIGHT ANYMORE AND THE ROCKET
FALLS FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS.
AND IT'S THAT SEPARATION THAT
GIVES US A PRETTY GOOD SAFETY
MARGIN FROM THE TIME THE ROCKET
LEAVES THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT
ACTUALLY LIGHTS UP AND MOTORS
OUT A HEAD OF US.
IT'S A FAIRLY ABRUPT DROP.
WHEN IT RELEASES IT'S A FAIRLY
GOOD SHAKE AND IT PUSHES US BACK
IN OUR SEAT QUITE A BIT BECAUSE
THE AIRPLANE IS RISING QUITE
QUICKLY.
THE REST OF IT IS JUST WE HAVE
THE BEST VIEW OF ANYBODY AT NASA
OR IN OUR COMPANY OF THE LAUNCH.
IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING
SPECTACULAR VIEW AND AT NIGHT
YOU CAN IMAGINE THE FIRE THAT
COMES OFF THE THRUST OF THE
ROCKET MOVING AHEAD OF US AND
CLIMBING BASICALLY OFF INTO
SPACE.
WE CAN WATCH BOTH STAGES FIRST
AND SECOND STAGE ON A CLEAR
NIGHT WHICH IS QUITE -- IT's AN
AMAZING EXPERIENCE AND WE'RE
REALLY LUCKY TO BE IN A SEAT
LIKE THIS AND CALL THIS OUR
OFFICE.
>> AND THEN OF COURSE AFTER IT
LAUNCHES WE ARE GOING TO BE
WAITING ONE MONTH FOR THAT
INCREDIBLE RESEARCH THAT SCOTT
ENGLAND TOLD US ABOUT TO
UNDERSTAND HOW TERRESTRIAL
WEATHER AND SPACE WEATHER
INTERACT.
GO TO NASA.GOV/ICON AND STAY
TUNED FOR GREAT THINGS FROM THIS
GREAT MISSION AND GREAT LAUNCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
BYE!
♪♪ 441 00:14:35,107 --> 00:14:30,283 ♪♪