From: Mission Control
To: Your Class
Subject: Let the Training Begin!!

Once you have received your acceptance into our program, then you will be appointed as "Provisional Mission Specialists". Whether or not your provisional status is removed depends upon you. You must first complete the Specialist Training materials.

For your training you will need to read and understand everything in the "Training Manual" and you will need to practice your skills by completing the "Team Preparation Materials".

Here are some details about the mission:

Time
Your e-Mission will take place during the solar storm event of February 14, 2001.

The Situation
Space Weather
" On January 17, 2001, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center (NOAA/SEC) reported an S-class solar flare, category 5-the 4th largest solar flare ever recorded. The data projects that when the sun completes another 28-day rotation and the solar flare faces Earth once again (on February 14, 2001), it might be larger than any solar storm on record. The astronauts would be exposed to record-high levels of radioactivity.

" During the January event people around the world reported unusual disturbances. Night sky- watchers witnessed spectacular northern lights farther south than usual. Global low-frequency radio communications were disrupted. In Canada, power stations in remote areas of British Columbia were overloaded causing an 18-hour-long power failure. The North American Verizon telecommunications satellite, T-144, failed. Thirteen hours of cell-phone service were lost. Three other satellites around the globe shut down temporarily. Pigeon farmer Hank Fricasee reported losing three homing pigeons. The radiation shower disrupted the birds' "navigational systems."

Radiation Levels
" During this first 12-hour storm, Space Station Alpha astronauts were exposed to 100 to 1000 times the normal daily radiation dosage, the highest dosage ever recorded. The crew followed standard shielding procedures to reduce exposure. When the radiation alarm went off, Mission Control advised the astronauts to adjust the station's position and move to a more shielded area.
Power Systems
" The January 17th storm also disrupted the station's electrical power system. The storm affected the solar arrays, which generate the station's electrical power, and some systems had to be shut down. Engineers in Mission Control feared the power disruption was permanent; but, fortunately, power was restored as the storm subsided.
Life Support Systems
" Tier I and Tier II command-and-control computers, which operate the station's life support systems, momentarily stopped communicating. Technicians are still studying the problem. The atmospheric monitors inside the Space Station recorded low levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide. The cause of the problem is still unknown. Mission Control has uploaded new software.

Mission Priorities
" Protect the lives and health of the astronauts.
" Protect the space station's systems.
" Protect essential space station research projects.
" Protect resources.

Over the next days and weeks you will learn about the four topics related to the mission: Space Weather, Radiation, Power, and Life Support. If Challenger is to place its trust in you, you will need to have certain knowledge and skills before the mission begins:

Knowledge
It is important to learn a number of important scientific concepts. The scientific concepts and phenomena you will study include
" Atoms and Molecules: parts of an atom and purposes they serve; forms of matter
" The Sun: how atomic particles create solar storms; how atomic particles create dangerous radiation for astronauts
" Space weather forecasting
" Magnetism
" Electricity and Power: solar cells and batteries
" Human Respiration: atmospheric pressure and gases
" Issues in Radiation Health

Skills
On mission day, your mathematical and communications skills will be put to the test. Practice the mathematical procedures needed for the mission. Make sure you are familiar with such mathematical concepts as percentages, subtraction, multiplication, and the use of graphs and tables. Communications skills include: ability to communicate under pressure, written and oral communication skills, ability to work well with a variety of people.

When you are done you will qualify to be a Mission Specialist. NASA recruits only the most effective specialists to serve in such missions. Managing the Space Station requires teamwork, planning, and clear-headed problem-solving ability -- especially in high-pressure, emergency situations.