Radiation Belt Mission Renamed For Honor James Van Allen: NASA

NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission that was launched in August for exploring the harsh radiation belts around the Earth has been renamed as the Van Allen Probes in honor of the late James Van Allen.  

The Van Allen Probes, two heavily armored spacecrafts, began their two-year science mission Oct. 28 after a 60-day commissioning phase. It comprises of the first dual spacecraft mission that was created to investigate the radiation belts that surrounded Earth. The belts are affected by solar storms and coronal mass ejections and sometimes swell dramatically. When such an event occurs, it poses a threat to communication, GPS satellite and human spaceflight activities.

According to NASA officials, these two satellites will be known as the Van Allen Probes for the remainder of their two year mission. This announcement was made Friday, during a ceremony at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md.

"James Van Allen was a true pioneer in astrophysics," former astronaut John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement. "His groundbreaking research paved the way for current and future space exploration. These spacecraft now not only honour his iconic name but his mark on science."

Van Allen was the principal investigator for scientific investigations on 24 Earth satellites and planetary missions, including Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11. He also helped develop the first plans for an International Geophysical Year that was held in 1957. James Van Allen is credited with the 1958 discovery of the radiation belts using Explorer 1, the first successful U.S. satellite.

"The Van Allen belts were the first discovery of the Space Age," said Rick Fitzgerald, Space Department program area manager at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, to Space.com. APL manages the Van Allen Probes mission for NASA.

"After only two months in orbit, the Van Allen Probes have made significant contributions to our understanding of the radiation belts," said Ralph Semmel, director of APL. "The science and data from these amazing twin spacecraft will allow for more effective and safe space technologies in the decades to come. APL is proud to have built and to operate this new resource for NASA and our nation, and we are proud to have the mission named for one of APL's original staff."

The probe is expected to spend two years looping through every part of both Van Allen belts.  With two satellites placed in different regions at the same time scientists will be able to gather data from within the belts themselves, learning how they change over space and time.

"We are very pleased to have the Van Allen Probes successfully complete the commissioning period," said Kim Cooper, Van Allen Probes project manager at APL, to Space Flight Now. "Over the past 60 days, the many complex systems on the probes have come to life and started to work together. The spacecraft's science instrument teams are already recording illuminating data, and they are taking advantage of their best understanding of the mechanics and properties of the radiation belts to date."