KSC-07pd0430
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Amid billows of smoke, the Delta II rocket with NASA's THEMIS spacecraft aboard lifts off Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:01 p.m. EST. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Usage Rights
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.
Details
NASA ID
KSC-07pd0430
Date Created
February 17, 2007
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
Downloads
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.