NASA Sets Coverage for Launch of Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

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Feb 27, 2015, 02:46 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission is set to lift off at 10:44 p.m. EDT Thursday, March 12 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. There is a 30-minute window for the launch.

NASA Television launch coverage begins at 8 p.m. NASA TV also will air a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, a mission science briefing at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, and a NASA Social at 3 p.m. on March 12, all originating from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

MMS will study magnetic reconnection, a fundamental process that occurs throughout the universe when magnetic fields connect and disconnect explosively, releasing energy and accelerating particles up to nearly the speed of light. Unlike previous missions that have observed only evidence of magnetic reconnection events, MMS has sufficient resolution to observe and measure reconnection events as they occur. While MMS will fly through reconnection regions in less than a second, key sensors on each spacecraft are able to capture measurements 100 times faster than any previous mission. In addition, MMS consists of four identical observatories, which together will provide the first ever three-dimensional view of magnetic reconnection.

The mission observes reconnection directly in Earth's protective magnetic space environment known as the magnetosphere. By studying reconnection in this local, natural laboratory, MMS helps scientists understand reconnection elsewhere, such as in the atmosphere of the sun and other stars, in the vicinity of black holes and neutron stars and at the boundary between our solar system's heliosphere and interstellar space.

Media who want to attend the MMS prelaunch events, including the launch pad photo opportunity, prelaunch news conferences and the launch must apply for credentials at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov/

U.S. media accreditation requests must be received by noon on Thursday, March 5.

The deadline for accreditation requests by foreign media has passed.

All registered media must present two forms of unexpired government-issued identification to access Kennedy. One form must be a photo identification, such as a passport or driver's license. For more information about media accreditation, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598 or 321-867-2468 and by email at [email protected].

For in-depth prelaunch, countdown and launch day coverage of the liftoff of MMS, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/1AB6JUb

For NASA TV schedules and video streaming information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about the MMS mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mms

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SOURCE NASA