HR: 08:45h
AN: ED11F-04 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: The Achievements of the Student Nitric Oxide Explorer
AU: * Bailey, S M
EM: scott.bailey@gi.alaska.edu
AF: Geophysical Instiute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320 United States
AB: The Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) completed nearly six years of continuous observation before it reentered the Earth­Ęs atmosphere on December 13, 2003. The primary goals of SNOE were to determine the magnitude and variability of nitric oxide in the lower thermosphere and to determine the relationship between NO and the energetic inputs to the atmosphere that create it. SNOE observations confirmed previously held suspicions that the solar soft X-ray irradiance was stronger than the prior sparsely available data and empirical models suggested. SNOE demonstrated that solar soft X-ray irradiance and auroral energy deposition control the abundance of NO over the globe, but provided the very surprising results that wintertime midlatitude NO is controlled by auroral energy while summertime polar NO is controlled by solar irradiance. The morphology of NO is also providing clues to the processes in the magnetospheric which lead to the auroral energy deposition. Serendipitous observations of polar mesospheric clouds by SNOE have provided an excellent database for climatological studies of these clouds, showing that there is a strong hemispheric asymmetry in their distribution and that they are strongly influenced by local dynamics. Many students contributed greatly toward SNOE­Ęs design, development, testing, launch, operations, and data analysis. SNOE was managed for NASA by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) under the Student Explorers Demonstration Initiative (STEDI). The goal of STEDI was to show that small relevant research satellite missions could be developed at low cost and with high educational benefit by giving students a large involvement. SNOE was developed and operated through its primary mission for under five million dollars (excluding only launch vehicle costs). The SNOE development team consisted primarily of students working closely with a small number of experienced professionals. Students had significant responsibilities in all areas of the mission. Perhaps the key component to SNOE­Ęs success was the unique very strong camaraderie that existed among the SNOE team. Over 120 students contributed in a substantive way to SNOE. They have all gone on to exciting careers in the aerospace industry and brought dramatic success to STEDI­Ęs goal. In this talk we will describe the student involvement in SNOE as well as the SNOE observations and the insights into Sun - Earth connections we have obtained from them.
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0342 Middle atmosphere: energy deposition (3334)
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005