image: The hearty band included (from left) first row: NJIT Research Scientist Bob Melville; UCLA Research Professor Jacob Bortnik, who is now also affiliated with NJIT; undergraduate Scott Lieberman. In the second row, recent graduate and doctoral candidate in the NJIT Department of Physics Paul Dupiano; doctoral candidate in physics Kevin Urban; administrative assistant Christine Oertel; project manager Felicia Margolies. In the third Row, doctoral candidate in physics Kyung-guk Min; master’s degree candidate, physics, Dhvanit Mehta; recent master’s degree graduate also in physics, Anthony Teti; Gerrard; digital engineer Nimish Sane; NJIT Research Professor Jeongwoo Lee. view more
Credit: NJIT Felicia Margolies
NEWARK, Aug. 31, 2012--Rivaling the kind of devotion reserved for rock stars, a band of space weather groupies surrounding NJIT Distinguished Research Professor Lou Lanzerotti stayed up all night into the next day to witness the long-awaited launch of Atlas V.
More than a dozen of these hearty souls showed up to party at 3 a.m. on Aug. 30, 2012 in Tiernan Hall on the NJIT campus, to witness via NASA TV the 4 a.m. launch from Cape Canaveral of the twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission.
Lanzerotti is the principal investigator behind one of five instruments aboard the RBSP. The launch had already been cancelled several times due to a combination of technical glitches and poor weather. Thankfully, both issues were resolved. In anticipation of the original blast-off, The Star-Ledger reported last week on Lanzerotti and the effort.
The mission was funded by NASA’s Living With a Star program which is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) managed the RBSP mission and built and operates the two RBSP spacecraft for NASA.
The entire project began in 2006. NJIT will ultimately receive about $15 million in NASA funding for its role in developing and building the space weather instrument RBSP Ion Composition Experiment known as RBSPICE. Each RBSP spacecraft weighs about 660 kilograms (1,455 pounds) and carries an identical set of five instrument suites that will enable scientists to unlock the mysteries of the radiation belts surrounding Earth.
Back in Newark when finally the big moment arrived at 4 a.m.-- really, check the clock—the gang was on board. Explains NJIT Physics Professor Andy Gerrard: "We projected the entire NASA launch onto a 50-inch screen and used external speakers, complete with subwoofer, to get that unique rumble feeling. As we watched the launch, Lou, who couldn’t be with us, called in and we put him on speaker phone so we could share the moment together.
"And then we saw the launch. We watched it go up in space. We saw the first stage separation, then the second stage activation. We basically tracked the entire start of the mission!
"We then celebrated by popping the champagne corks with Lou still on speaker phone. There was a toast to RBSP and then to Lou. Earlier we had put out coffee and donuts. Many of the students were actually here the entire night."
The hearty band included (as seen in the attached photo, from left) first row: NJIT Research Scientist Bob Melville, New Providence; UCLA Research Professor Jacob Bortnik, Leonia, who is now also affiliated with NJIT; undergraduate Scott Lieberman, Cranford.
In the second row, recent graduate and doctoral candidate in the NJIT Department of Physics Paul Dupiano, Union; doctoral candidate in physics Kevin Urban, Clifton; administrative assistant Christine Oertel, Roselle Park; project manager Felicia Margolies, Sayreville.
In the third Row, doctoral candidate in physics Kyung-guk Min, Newark; master’s degree candidate, physics, Dhvanit Mehta, Edison; recent master’s degree graduate also in physics, Anthony Teti, Landing; Gerrard, Bridgewater; digital engineer Nimish Sane, Belleville; NJIT Research Professor Jeongwoo Lee, Paramus.
NJIT, New Jersey's science and technology university, enrolls more than 9,558 students pursuing bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 120 programs. The university consists of six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, College of Architecture and Design, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, College of Computing Sciences and Albert Dorman Honors College. U.S. News & World Report's 2011 Annual Guide to America's Best Colleges ranked NJIT in the top tier of national research universities. NJIT is internationally recognized for being at the edge in knowledge in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering and e-learning. Many courses and certificate programs, as well as graduate degrees, are available online through the Division of Continuing Professional Education.
Contact: Sheryl Weinstein, director, public relations, Sheryl.m.weinstein@njit.edu, 973-596-3436.