spase://SMWG/Observatory/SDO

SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory) is the first in a
series of missions in the Living With a Star program. The spacecraft
is three-axis-stabilized, sun-pointing, in an inclined (28 degree)
geosynchronous orbit. The mission's primary goal is to understand and,
ideally, predict the solar variations that influence life on Earth and
humanity's technological systems. SDO will do this by determining how
the Sun's magnetic field is generated and structured and how this
stored magnetic energy is converted and released into the heliosphere
and geospace in the form of solar wind, energetic particles, and
variations in the solar brightness.

The spacecraft carries three instruments: the Atmospheric Imaging
Assembly (AIA), the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE),
and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). AIA images the dynamic
solar atmosphere in multiple wavelengths to link changes in the surface
to those in the interior. EVE measures the solar extreme ultraviolet
irradiance variations based on the sun's magnetic features. It helps
scientists to understand the Sun's role in driving the outer atmosphere
of Earth. HMI studies the origin of solar variability by characterizing
and developing an understanding of the sun's interior and the various
components of its magnetic activity. It extends the capabilities of the
SOHO/MDI instrument to continuous full-disk coverage at higher spatial
resolution and vector magnetograms.

The combined data rate is about 130 Mbit/s (150 Mbit/s with overhead,
or 300 Msymbols/s with rate 1/2 convolutional encoding), and the craft
will generate approximately 1.5 terabytes of data per day. The prime
mission is planned for five years. SDO was successfully launched on
11Feb2010.