The Radiation Belt Storm Probes

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The Radiation Belt Storm Probes

The Radiation Belt Storm Probe mission (RBSP) will explore the Van Allen Radiation Belts in the Earth's magnetosphere. The charge particles in these regions can be hazardous to both spacecraft and astronauts. The mission will explore space weather -- changes in Earth's space environment caused by the sun -- which can affect our technology.

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

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NASA satellites to probe Earth's harsh radiation belts

A pair of spacecraft in suits of armor will brave one of the toughest environments in space when they launch later this month to study radiation around Earth.

NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) will fly through the thick belts of charged particles that encircle our planet to try to understand these dynamic environments. To withstand the damage such harsh radiation can inflict, the satellites are shrouded in strong layers of shielding.

The $670 million twin probes are due to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket taking off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 4:08 a.m. on Aug. 23.

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New mission ready to brave Earth's radiation belts

The spacecraft are designed to fly and operate in the heart of the most hazardous regions of near-Earth space to collect crucial data.

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