From: yee@atlas.arc.nasa.gov (Peter Yee)
Subject: International study of Earth's magnetic field announced [Release 92-193] (Forwarded)
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Originator: yee@atlas.arc.nasa.gov
Reply-To: yee@atlas.arc.nasa.gov (Peter Yee)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 22:32:05 GMT

Don Savage
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.            October 30, 1992
(Phone:  202/453-8400)

Debra Rahn
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone:  202/358-1639)


RELEASE:  92-193

INTERNATIONAL STUDY OF EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD ANNOUNCED


     Scientists from the United States, Japan, Russia and 
Europe are mounting a coordinated multi-mission effort in 
solar-terrestrial science over the next 4 years, the Inter-
Agency Consultative Group for Space Science (IACG) announced 
at its meeting in Washington, D.C., Oct. 29-30, 1992.

     The effort began with the launch of Japan's Geotail 
satellite in July 1992 and will continue with next year's 
planned launch of NASA's WIND spacecraft, Russia's 2-
spacecraft Interball mission planned for launch in the fall 
of 1993 and the Cluster and the SOHO missions of the European 
Space Agency in 1995.  In addition, NASA's Interplanetary 
Monitoring Platform and the Japanese AKEBONO spacecraft will 
provide important data.

     "During the 1990's, an unprecedented set of interrelated 
solar-terrestrial science missions are being launched, 
offering a unique opportunity to enhance individual 
scientific return," said Dr. Lennard A. Fisk, NASA Associate 
Administrator for Space Science and Applications.

     This international coordination will maximize the 
scientific return from this suite of missions to gain a 
greater understanding of the Earth's magnetosphere --the 
magnetic field that forms a magnetic "cocoon" around the 
Earth.  Electrical and magnetic interactions involving the 
magnetosphere, the solar wind and interplanetary shock waves, 
have caused storms there which can create disturbances in the 
Earth's atmosphere affecting communications, electrical power 
systems and spacecraft electronics.

     The effort will study not only quiet electrical and 
magnetic conditions but also study the major impacts on the 
magnetospheric tail from changes in the solar wind, such as 
interplanetary shock waves, large pressure pulses and changes 
in the interplanetary magnetic field.

     Other severe tail instabilities generated within the 
magnetosphere itself.  These include the storage and violent 
release of energy known as storms and sub-storms and 
processes of energy transfer between near-Earth and distant-
tail regions.

New Methods of Multi-Mission International Cooperation

     Prof. Atsuhiro Nishida, the IACG Executive Secretary, 
speaking on behalf of the Heads of Delegation said, "Toward 
the end of the decade, the four space agencies will look back 
on major science accomplishments, not possible through 
individual missions alone, that we will have achieved through 
new methods of multi-mission international cooperation.  This 
effort could serve as a model for future international 
collaboration."

     The Heads of Delegations to the IACG approved this 
coordinated multi-mission effort which, in the 1990's, will 
involve up to 35 spacecraft in as many as 25 common 
scientific projects in solar- terrestrial physics.

     Leading the IACG Delegations were Dr. Fisk; Dr. Roger 
Bonnet, Director of the Scientific Programs at the European 
Space Agency; Prof. Ryojiro Akiba, Director of Japan's 
Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences and Academician 
Albert A. Galeev, Director of the Space Research Institute in 
Russia. 
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