THEMIS mission fields 5 probes to solve mystery of auroral substorms

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Artists concept of the release of the five THEMIS probes from their carrier. After launch the probes will take 10 months to coast into the desired orbits around Earth such that every four days they line up along the planets magnetotail. (NASA images)
Artist's concept of the release of the five THEMIS probes from their carrier. After launch, the probes will take 10 months to coast into the desired orbits around Earth, such that every four days they line up along the planet's magnetotail. (NASA images)

NASA is poised to launch on Feb. 15 five identical space probes – the largest number of spacecraft ever attempted by the agency on a single rocket – to solve a decades-long mystery about the origin of magnetic storms that turn the green, shimmering curtains of the Earth's Northern and Southern Lights into colorful, dancing light shows.


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