Author Topic: Virgin Galactic to fly through Aurora Borealis (Read 3423 times)

hyper_snyper · « **on:** 04/09/2006 12:43 am »

Click here for the story...

I was a bit hesitant on whether I would ever shell out $200K (if I had it) for a suborbital flight but this changes my mind completely.

nacnud · « **Reply #1 on:** 04/09/2006 11:36 pm »

Wow that would be simply stunning

Tap-Sa · « **Reply #2 on:** 04/10/2006 10:01 am »

From the article:

“As no one has ever flown through the Aurora Borealis, no one knows what the effect of flying though such a large magnetic field will be on SpaceShipTwo or on the people inside,” said Whitehorn. “We are starting to conduct research on exactly what the effects will be.”

Will there be refund if passengers turn into jello? Great scifi plot opportunity for superhero mutations.

Rocket Guy · « **Reply #3 on:** 04/10/2006 12:58 pm »

“As no one has ever flown through the Aurora Borealis"

I don't understand that; the Shuttle, ISS and Mir have flown through the upper parts of aurora many times. Astronauts say it is one of the greatest sights of spaceflight.

hyper_snyper · « **Reply #4 on:** 04/10/2006 02:02 pm »

Auroras usually occur between 80-150 km in altitude. That lines up perfectly with SpaceShipTwo's performance. Mir and ISS are above 300 km. As for the Shuttle, I don't know whether it has ever flown low enough to fly through them.

Rocket Guy · « **Reply #5 on:** 04/10/2006 02:51 pm »

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?aurora

From the ground, spectacular auroras seem to dance high above. But the International Space Station (ISS) orbits at nearly the same height as many auroras, sometimes passing over them, and sometimes right through them. Still, the auroral electron and proton streams pose no direct danger to the ISS. In 2003, ISS Science Officer Don Pettit captured the green aurora, pictured above in a digitally sharpened image. From orbit, Pettit reported that changing auroras appeared to crawl around like giant green amoebas.

---

I have also heard Pettit and at least one other astronaut describe what it's like to fly right through them. I believe the interaction can stretch as high as 300km.

Regardless, the article also implies the magnetic field is 'greater' when there are aurora, which is not true. Aurora are the interaction between magnetic field-trapped particles such as atomic oxygen and nitrogen with particles from the sun, and are dependent on the solar outflow. The magnetic field is always there; fluxuations in intensity are not based on aurora.

Benny · « **Reply #6 on:** 04/17/2006 11:50 am »

Women with breast implants may be banned from Sir Richard
Branson's commercial space flights in case their breasts
EXPLODE, according to a report from England's Online Sun.

I am sorry I couldn´t resist posting this.....