Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) Nightside Orbit Animation for the Preliminary Design Review (PDR)

  • Released Monday, July 6, 2009
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This visualization uses simulated ephemerides to show the proposed orbits of the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) during the "nightside" orbit phase. The movie initially shows the general orientation of the orbit with respect to the Earth, Moon, and Sun. It then moves in towards the Earth revealing Earth's magnetic field. The camera then moves down towards the dark side of the Earth showing how MMS will fly through the tail of the magnetosphere

This visualization was created in support of the MMS Preliminary Design Review (PDR) which was held May 4th through May 7th of 2009.

MMS Nightside orbit animation

Earth, magnetoshealth, Moon's orbit, and the Sun

Earth, magnetoshealth, Moon's orbit, and the Sun

View from Earth's north (i.e., top down) showing the Moon's orbit, the magnetosheath, and the MMS nighside orbit

View from Earth's north (i.e., top down) showing the Moon's orbit, the magnetosheath, and the MMS nighside orbit

Another top down view showing how the nightside MMS orbit is oriented with respect to the Earth's magnetic field

Another top down view showing how the nightside MMS orbit is oriented with respect to the Earth's magnetic field

A view of the MMS nightside orbit from the dark side of the Earth

A view of the MMS nightside orbit from the dark side of the Earth

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
The Blue Marble Next Generation data is courtesy of Reto Stockli (NASA/GSFC) and NASA's Earth Observatory.

This page was originally published on Monday, July 6, 2009.
This page was last updated on Sunday, January 5, 2025 at 10:02 PM EST.

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