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| credit: Sergeant Roberto/Divulgao AEB |
A Brazilian satellite called Sport (Scintillation Prediction Research Task) will be launched this Tuesday (22) as a result of a partnership between the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and the North American Space Agency (NASA). The projectile will observe and investigate magnetic anomalies in the South Atlantic in order to collect data.
The collected data will form part of research into the effects of solar storms, which can cause disturbances such as plasma bubbles that degrade communications and GPS signals and could compromise the country’s security and critical infrastructure.
The sport will be launched aboard the Elon Musk Space X rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (USA). The satellite has a limit of six liters and up to 9 kg. The launch is scheduled for 5:54 p.m. Tuesday and the Brazilian Space Agency can follow it live on YouTube from 5:30 p.m.
Meet SPORT
Although this name “Sport” is an acronym for “Scintillation Prediction Observation Research Task”, loosely translated, the name it received is also a tribute to the Sport Clube do Recife football team.
The projectile was named after NASA Space Weather Chief Jim Spann, who grew up in Recife and supported the team as a child. “As for the name, its purpose was not only to honor the memory of its beloved team, but also to promote space education for the next generation,” AEB said in a statement.
The nanosatellite was developed by the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA) in collaboration with NASA, using scientific instruments provided by the Universities of Utah, Texas, and Alabama; and Aerospace Co, according to the AEB.
In addition, his data will be used by the Brazilian Space Climate Research and Monitoring Program (Embrace), coordinated by INPE.
