Along the way from Earth to outer space,
you pass through a busy intersection.
Located between 50 and 400 miles above the Earth's surface
this stretch of sky is known as the upper atmosphere.
Here, spacecraft transit, GPS signals race, and the International Space Station cruises.
Microscopic particles hurry about like rush hour drivers.
Like any busy freeway,
the upper atmosphere surges from all directions.
The particles can create gridlock as they clump or flow.
The varying traffic patterns can muddle GPS signals,
disrupt spacecraft orbits,
and even surge blackout-inducing currents through the Earth's crust.
These effects pose risks to our infrastructure
but our understanding of how gases and energy ebb and flow here remains hazy.
For years, scientists have been running computer models
to understand the upper atmosphere.
But the models' capabilities depend highly on good observations
-- and data from the region is scarce.
To better navigate the upper atmosphere,
NASA is counting on the Geospace Dynamics Constellation.
Just as a news helicopter gives a bird's eye view of traffic in your area,
GDC's fleet will fly through the upper atmosphere and report about current conditions.
This specialized team of spacecraft will cover more than just local events.
By varying their formation,
the GDC fleet witll study phenomena at different scales,
including regional and global perspectives.
The increased coverage is similar to adding numerous weather tracking sensors,
when previously there was only a handful covering just a few towns.
The mission will be the first to measure the impacts of three distinct sources of energy
that drive change in the upper atmosphere.
Solar Radiation
Terrestrial Weather
And Charged Particles.
The upper atmosphere changes in response to ultraviolet light
and x-rays from the Sun.
The amount of intense solar radiation can vary due to solar flares,
the appearance of active regions on the Sun,
and the 11 year solar cycle.
Earth's weather effects expand and extend vertically,
pounding the upper atmosphere with rippling force.
Tropical storms, changes in the jet stream,
and the El Niño/La Niña cycles all can be major drivers of the variability in this region.
From outer space, electrical currents and charged particles
stream into the upper atmosphere.
These energy sources funnel down the Earth's magnetic field lines
into the upper atmosphere.
They heat, ionize, and stir the particles,
surging in more traffic to the region.
GDC will put us on route to understanding not only the high altitude conditions on Earth,
but also provide an important database for exploring the atmospheres of other planets,
in our Solar system,
and beyond.
Along the way from Earth to space, we have so much yet to learn.
When it comes to navigating the upper atmosphere,
GDC can show us the way.