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ACE
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ACE
ACE Mission to Our Solar System

Goals: The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) was designed to study the constant stream of particles that bombard the Earth from the Sun, interplanetary and interstellar space. The spacecraft was also equipped to serve as real-time space weather station from its orbit at the L1 libration point, almost 1.5 million km from Earth.

Accomplishments: ACE continues to provide space weather reports and warnings of geomagnetic storms that can disrupt communications on Earth and harm astronauts in space. The spacecraft has operated far beyond its expected lifetime.


Key Dates
25 Aug 1997:  Launch (14:39 UT)
21 Jan 1998:  Spacecraft Operational
Status: In Progress
Fast Facts
ACE Facts ACE's instruments can give about one hour's notice of an impending geomagnetic storm from the Sun (right).

ACE orbits the L1 Libration point in a wide loop where the gravity between Earth and Sun is balanced.

ACE orbits the L1 Libration point in a wide loop where the gravity between Earth and Sun is balanced.

ACE orbits the Sun at the Lagrangian Point L1 between the Earth and the Sun.

Lagrangian points are where the gravitational forces acting between two objects cancel each other out and can be used by spacecraft to hover.

The gravitational points are named for Italian mathematician Joseph Louis Lagrange (above).
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Last Updated: 22 Oct 2010