Triana

[Triana]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triana_(satellite)

Just FYI where the name came from... ...note what the Repukes had to say about it. The program was scrapped as soon as bu$hit took office.
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Triana is a NASA satellite proposed in 1998 by former Vice President Al Gore for the purpose of earth observation. It is intended to be positioned at the Earth's L₁ Lagrangian point, at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers. At this location it will have a continuous view of the Sun-lit side of the Earth.

The satellite's original purpose was to provide a near continuous view of the entire Earth and make that live image available via the Internet. Gore hoped not only to advance science with these images, but also to raise awareness of the Earth itself, updating the influential The Blue Marble photograph taken by Apollo 17.

In addition to an imaging camera, a radiometer would take the first direct measurements of how much sunlight is reflected and emitted from the whole Earth. This data could constitute a barometer for the process of Global Warming. The scientific goals expanded to measure the amount of solar energy reaching Earth, cloud patterns, weather systems, monitor the health of Earth's vegetation, and track the amount of UV light reaching the surface through the ozone layer.

Derided by critics as being an unfocused project, the satellite was nicknamed GoreSat, and was often referred to as an "overpriced screen saver" by Republicans. Congress asked the National Academy of Sciences whether the project was worthwhile. The resulting report stated that the mission was "strong and vital".

Triana was named after Rodrigo de Triana, the first of Colombus's crew to sight land in the Americas. NASA renamed the satellite Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), in an attempt to regain support for the project.

Faced with political hostility on one side and scientific support on the other, Triana could neither be launched nor could it be terminated. Triana was removed from its original launch opportunity on STS-107. The $100 million satellite remains in storage at a cost of $1 million a year.

[Triana]

1. Scorched Earth

NASA has quietly terminated the Deep Space Climate Observatory, citing "competing priorities." The news media took little notice. Few Americans, after all, had even heard of the program. But the entire world may come to mourn its passing.

Earth is growing warmer. Even the most strident global-warming deniers have taken to saying that a little warming is a good thing. If the trend continues, however, it will have catastrophic consequences for life on this planet. Correctly identifying the cause could be the most important problem facing humanity.

...

The disdain of the Bush White House for Triana goes much deeper than just a desire to avoid the truth about global warming. Triana began life in early 1998 as a brainchild of Al Gore, who was then the vice president. Mr. Gore, the story goes, woke up one morning wondering if it would be possible to beam a continuous image of the full Earth back from space to inspire people with the need to care for our planet. The 1972 portrait of the full Earth, taken from the Moon, had inspired millions with the fragile beauty of our blue planet. Why not beam the image live into classrooms, allowing students to view weather systems marching around the globe?

Scientists had dreamed of such an observatory for years. They hoped Mr. Gore's influence would make it happen. Mr. Gore's support would end up destroying it. Those who hated him, hated Triana. His dream of inspiring environmentalists and schoolchildren served only to trivialize the project. It was ridiculed as "Gore's screen saver."

Triana is terminated, but global warming is not.

...


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/opinion/15park.html?ex=1153800000&en=f0e6fd94f2994c62&ei=5070

[Wonk]

2. You can make your sig pic a link if you want, here's the code.

To make it a link to this thread:

[link:www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1711060|http://www-pm.larc.nasa.gov/images/triana_logo.gif]



To make it a link to that wikipedia article:

[link:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triana|http://www-pm.larc.nasa.gov/images/triana_logo.gif]

[Triana]

3. Thanks!

I think I'll do that! B-)