SpaceX observatory DSCOVR to keep track of solar storms from one million miles away

#spacex #falcon9 #DSCOVR #solarstorm #NOAA #NASA It was third time lucky for SpaceX when it succeeded in launching a solar-storm lookout point a million miles away as envisaged by former Vice President Al Gore. This observatory blasted off on an unmanned Falcon 9 rocket, to hoist the spacecraft for NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Air Force.
It was the third try in four days as reported in foxnews.com dated 11 February 2015.
Al Gore had dreamed up the idea for an environmentally conscious, Earth-gazing satellite 17 years ago. He was present for the sunset launch. In fact, he was present at the two previous failed attempts since he was eager to see his brainchild finally soar.
In the opinion of Elon Musk, SpaceX's billionaire founder and chief executive, sending the observatory on its $340 million mission was the main event since it represented the first deep-space mission for SpaceX.
The intention of the observatory nicknamed DSCOVR (pronounced discover) is to provide advance warnings of solar outbursts that could disrupt life here on Earth.
It is understood that DSCOVR will take nearly four months to travel one million miles, four times farther than the moon, to the so-called Lagrange point. This is a gravity-neutral position in direct line with the sun and, being at this lookout location, 92 million miles from the sun, it will be able to provide advance warnings of incoming geomagnetic storms that could disrupt power and communications on Earth.