KSC-2012-4550

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - During a mission science briefing for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, or RBSP, mission at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site in Florida, Craig Kletzing, a principal investigator from the University of Iowa, answers questions and displays a scale model of the twin probes. To the left, is Harlan Spence, principal investigator with the University of New Hampshire. To the right, is Lou Lanzerotti, principal investigator with the New Jersey Institute of Technology. NASA’s RBSP mission will help us understand the sun’s influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying the Earth’s radiation belts on various scales of space and time. RBSP will begin its mission of exploration of Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts and the extremes of space weather after its launch aboard an Atlas V rocket. Launch is targeted for Aug. 24. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rbsp. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson