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Storm Team is responsible for monitoring the solar activity and its
impact on the International Space Station. The members of this team
are the experts on solar weather and we will be relying on them to
analyze data received from the GOES 8 Satellite. Specifically, they
will be evaluating Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) and looking for any
possible Solar Proton Events (SPE). This team should be prepared for
a potentially catastrophic solar event as the 28-day cycle is completed.
They will also be in charge of the position and route of the International
Space Station as it orbits the earth. The Storm Team should be able to answer the following questions: 1. What solar events are potentially dangerous? How are these events monitored? 2. What is the time lapse between the satellite getting the reading and the Earth receiving the information? 3. What does a sudden spike in X-rays indicate? 4. What is a Coronal Mass Ejection? 5. How can you tell if a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is likely to occur? What do you look for? 6. What are sunspots? Why do we need to pay attention to them? 7. Can we accurately predict when a solar flare is going to occur? Why or why not? 8. What is a Solar Proton Event (SPE)? (An SPE is a special instance of a coronal mass ejection) 9. What is a normal proton reading? What is a reading that would cause concern? 10. Why does the proton data need to be closely monitored by the ISS astronauts? How is proton production related to the magnitude and severity of the storm? 11. What does the term “attitude” refer to? 12. What is a normal attitude and orientation for the International Space Station? On Mission Day the STORM team should be able to do the following: • View data and give a summary of basic solar activity • Look at pictures of the sun and recognize sunspots • Analyze X-ray data and make predictions on CMEs and SPEs On Mission Day the STORM team should bring the following: • Working knowledge of solar weather, CMEs and SPEs • Graphs to chart X-ray and proton levels • Data on the January 14 coronal mass ejection. • Maps to track the route, orientation and inclination of the ISS |
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