Memo
From: Mission Control
To: Your Class
Subject: Let the Training Begin!

Once you have received your acceptance into our program, you will become "Specialists in Training." After you successfully complete the training materials, you will begin pre-mission preparation as Mission Specialists.

Here are some details about your upcoming mission that will help prepare you for the training ahead:

Time: Your e-Mission will take place during the solar storm event of February 14, 2001.

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The Situation: 

On January 17, 2001, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center (NOAA/SEC) reported an S-class solar flare, category 5. This was the fourth largest solar flare ever recorded. The data suggested that on February 14, 2001, after the sun completes another rotation and the solar flare faces the earth once again, we might experience the largest solar storm on record. 

• During the January solar event, people around the world reported unusual disturbances: 
• Night-sky-watchers saw spectacular northern lights farther south than usual.
• Global radio communications were disrupted. In Canada, power stations in areas of British Columbia were overloaded causing an 18-hour power failure.
• The North American Verizon telecommunications satellite, T-144, failed. For thirteen hours, cell phone users lost service.
• Three other critical navigation satellites shut down temporarily.

Radiation Levels

During the January 17th storm, space station astronauts were exposed to 100 to 1000 times the normal daily radiation dose. Mission Control advised the astronauts to adjust the station's position and to follow standard shielding procedures to reduce exposure. If the solar storm on February 14 is as severe as predicted, the astronauts will be exposed to record-high levels of radioactivity.

Power Systems

The January 17 storm disrupted the space station's electrical power system. The storm affected the solar arrays that generate the station's electrical power. Some systems had to be shut down. Engineers in Mission Control were afraid that the power disruption was permanent, but the power returned when the storm ended. 

Life Support Systems

Computers that operate the station's life support systems stopped communicating with each other for awhile. The atmospheric monitors inside the space station recorded low levels of oxygen (02) and high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2). The cause of this problem is still unknown, but Mission Control uploaded new software to deal with the problem.  

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Your Task

During your mission preparation, you will learn what you need to know to help the astronauts during a solar emergency.  You will need to gain certain knowledge and skills before the mission begins.

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Knowledge

It is important to learn about a number of important scientific concepts and how they are related, such as:

• The sun and how solar radiation creates conditions that are dangerous for the astronauts
• Electrical power and solar cells on the space station
• Human respiration and gases
• Issues in radiation health

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Skills

• On mission day, your math and communications skills will be put to the test. Practice the math procedures needed for the mission. Make sure you are familiar with concepts such as percentages, subtraction, multiplication, and the use of equations and graphs and tables.
• Communications skills include the ability to communicate under pressure using both writing and speaking.
• Team skills require that you work well with a variety of people.

When you have completed your training, you will qualify to be a Mission Specialist. 
Managing the space station requires teamwork, planning, and problem-solving abilities, especially in high-pressure, emergency situations.

Good luck! Remember, "Failure is not an option"