Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch
The Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch studies the coupled Sun-Earth system and the terrestrial planets and icy satellites of our solar system. Our heliophysics portfolio includes instrumentation development, sounding rocket flight, and research focusing on energy transfer across physical scales throughout the solar atmosphere. Our planetary science portfolio includes research on the origin, composition, and evolution of terrestrial planetary bodies, focusing on geological, geophysical, and related models, experiments, and observations conducted in the field, laboratory, and via analysis of remotely sensed data from space-based missions.
Alphonse Sterling (ST13) gave an invited presentation at the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) meeting in Berlin, Germany, over 7/11-20/23. Sterling’s presentation was in the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) subsection of the IUGG, and was …
Alphonse Sterling (ST13) is co-author on a paper in Astronomy and Astrophysics (A&A), entitled: “Small-scale EUV features as the drivers of coronal upflows in the quiet Sun,” which is led Conrad Schwanitz of ETH Zürich and of PMOD/WRC, Switzerland. This …
Solar Orbiter Papers Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics Read More »
The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) 6U CubeSat, deployed into a 52-degree, 405-km orbit on 12/28/22, has measured equatorial plasma bubbles for the first time. The science team is working to understand the observations, which have more complexity than …
SPORT Satellite First Light: Observations of Plasma Bubbles Read More »
MSFC hosted the Leadership of SMD’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) on Tuesday & Wednesday, July 18-19. PSD staff visiting MSFC included Lori Glaze, the Division Director; Joan Salute, the Associate Director for Flight Programs; Stephen Rinehart, director of the Planetary …
MSFC Hosts SMD’s Planetary Science Division Leadership Read More »
Heidi Haviland, Paul Bremner, and Mike Zanetti (ST13) participated in field testing of the Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface (NMLS) engineering unit at the Marshall Regolith field. This test case was also jointly observed by Juan Lorenzo (LSU) with …