NASA's THEMIS mission with five identical probes will track the aurora-dynamic, colorful eruptions near the Northern and Southern poles. These eruptions are linked to energy releases in Earth's magnetosphere, called substorms, and their trigger mechanism has remained a scientific mystery. When the five identical probes align over the North American continent - every four days for about 15 hours - scientists will collect coordinated measurements along the Sun-Earth line. This will provide the first comprehensive look at the onset of substorms and how they trigger auroral eruptions. Twenty ground stations in Northern Canada and Alaska with automated, all-sky cameras and magnetometers will document the auroras from Earth. This will give scientists the first comprehensive look at the phenomena from Earth's upper atmosphere to far into space.
The planned launch date is 15th February 2007.
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