Swarm satellite launch. Historical image of the European Space Agency's (ESA) three Swarm satellites being launched aboard a Russian Rockot rocket. Named Alpha,Bravo and Charlie,these satellites occupy different orbits (two in a lower orbit,one in a higher orbit) and record differences in the strength of the magnetic field associated with the Earth's core,mantle,crust,oceans,ionosphere and magnetosphere. This information is necessary for modelling the Earth's geomagnetic field,and its interaction with solar winds and with other physical processes such as ocean circulation,climate and weather. Photographed at the Plesetsk cosmodrome,Russia,on 22nd November 2013 |