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January 4th, 2008
SCIFER 2 (Sounding of the Cleft Ion Fountain Energization Region Two)Thursday January 4, 2008 Update
This is fourth 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.
Breaking news:
The third count was held on Thursday January 4, 2008 with the window opening at 0600 UT. The ground winds at Andoya Rocket Range permitted raising the rocket to the vertical position for the first time. The avalanche danger at Longyearbyen has passed and the telemetry tracking crew reached their stations for the first time. The science team used the facilities at the KHO Auroral observatory for the first time. The space weather conditions were very quiet. The window was closed at 1045 UT. The next count down begins at 0300 UT (0400 Norway time). Science station time is 0330 UT (0430 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 and clearer weather.
Space Weather Conditions
The space weather conditions are unchanged. The solar wind velocity is currently 310 km/s and the density is 2/cm^3. The STEREO B satellite indicates that the solar wind speed and density will increase for tomorrow$E2s window. The active region, expected to rotate into view in the next few days, is declining in activity..
Current Weather Conditions:
Longyearbyen: Temperature -9.8 C (14.3 F) Wind chill -21.9 C (-7.4 F), wind speed 6.7 m/s (15 mph), good visibility with occasional stars
Andenes: Temperature 0 C (32 F), wind speed 7.2 m/s (16.1 mph), partly sunny
Rocket/Payload status: The payload is mounted on the launcher and is operating nominally. Our first vertical checks were successfully completed today.
Local color: Our colleagues stuck in Tromso on the mainland arrived after their fourth attempt at flying to Longyearbyen at about midnight and reported seeing aurora from the airplane. They went to work at 3:00 AM. The last mile of our trip to the KHO observatory involved traveling across the snow in a $E3band wagon$E4. A picture is attached.
| Scientist locations on January 4, 2008: | |
|---|---|
| Paul Kintner | Longyearbyen |
| Erik Lundberg | Lonyearbyen (at long last) |
| Mark Lessard | Lonyearbyen (at long last) |
| Kristina Lynch | Andenes |
| Meghan Mella | Longyearbyen |
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