NORTH LOGAN, Utah — NASA has launched a new satellite to study the ionosphere, and a team at Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory was crucial in the satellite's development.
The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite was launched into the ionosphere Thursday night.
"Many of the things that we use everyday in our lives are transmitted by communication through our ionosphere, the upper part of the atmosphere. This is a critical area for our understanding to provide communications, GPS and other things that we rely on in our daily lives," said Jed Hancock, the director of the civil space division for the USU Space Dynamics Lab.
Members the SDL gathered with their families Thursday night to watch their hard work pay off.
"Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory developed the cameras in two of the primary instruments and led the payload integration and test activities for the ICON satellite," a news release from SDL said.
Click here for more information on SDL's involvement with ICON.
