National Science Foundation awards Space@VT $2 million to improve space weather understanding

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By Lynn Nystrom
September 3, 2009

Members of Virginia Tech's Space@VT research group are receiving a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build a chain of space weather instrument stations in Antarctica.

Space weather affects a variety of everyday consumer technologies including GPS devices, satellites for television reception, and cellular phones. Also, the understanding of space weather is critical to space programs.

For example, “satellites experience the disruptive effects of energetic charged particles and electrical charging across the satellite structure during various weather conditions. Astronauts are vulnerable to energetic radiation that may occur at space station altitudes. Navigation signals from global positioning satellites are affected by irregularities in the ionosphere that develop under some conditions, and massive disruption in electric power distribution systems can be triggered by geomagnetic storms,” explained Robert Clauer, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Virginia Tech.

Clauer is leading the team of researchers who include: Joseph Baker, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; Tamal Bose, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Brent Ledvina of Coherent Navigation, who also continues to hold an adjunct assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering position; and Majeid Manteghi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. Bose is also the associate director of Wireless@Virginia Tech, a second Virginia Tech research group that is acting as a collaborator on this project.

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