Scientist John Dorelli explains the MMS mission's orbit and why the four spacecraft fly in a tetrahedron formation. On its journey, MMS will observe a little-understood, but universal phenomenon called magnetic reconnection, responsible for dramatic re-shaping of the magnetic environment near Earth, often sending intense amounts of energy and fast-moving particles off in a new direction. Not only is this a fundamental physical process that occurs throughout the universe, it is also one of the drivers of space weather events at Earth. To truly understanding the process, requires four identical spacecraft to track how such reconnection events move across and through any given space in 3D.
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
NASA ID
GSFC_20140512_MMS_m11551_Bolden
Date Created
May 12, 2014
Center
GSFC
Media Type
video
Photographer
Michael McClare, John Caldwell, Katrina Jackson, Rob Andreoli
Location
Goddard Space Flight Center
Download this video in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.
Captions
Subtitles