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January 12th, 2008
This is eleventh update for SCIFER 2 collaborators and friends participating in the SCIFER 2 campaign. If you do not wish to be included in these emails, please ask to be removed from future mailings. Note that the window starts one hour earlier tomorrow because of sunlight
Breaking news:
The tenth count was held on Saturday January 12, 2008 with the window opening at 0600 UT. The ground winds at Andoya Rocket Range were favorable. During most of the window a quiet, stable auroral arc maintained itself north of Svalbard. The space weather conditions failed to live up to the prediction and were very quiet. In addition the window was interrupted by a Russian plane and an air ambulance in our air space for about 3 hours. The next count down begins at 0300 UT (0400 Norway time). Science station time is 0230 UT (0330 Norway time) at UNIS IPY room. A decision will be made whether to stay in town or to proceed to the KHO Auroral Observatory. The forecast tomorrow is for warmer (-11 C) and cloudy .
Local color: Attached is the only monument in Longyearbyen. Interestingly it is not a monument to the American Longyear, the investor who started the coal mining company here, nor to a local politician.
Space Weather Conditions
The space weather conditions were moderate again today with little change from yesterday. The solar wind velocity subsided somewhat to 420 km/s and the density increased to (5/cm^3) while the magnetic field (1-2 nT) was small. The STEREO B satellite indicates that the solar wind will be quiet tomorrow.
Current Weather Conditions:
Longyearbyen: Temperature -20.2 C and clear skies
Rocket/Payload status: The payload is mounted on the launcher and is operating nominally. The payload was in the vertical position and nominal for the window today.
Phone numbers for science launch operations
Backup Science Center at UNIS, Longyearbyen 79 02 64 48
KHO Auroral Observatory 79 02 64 70 or 71
EISCAT 79 02 12 36
CUTLASS Ops 44-116-252-3520