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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden poses with the agencys Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft, mission personnel, Goddard Center Director Chris Scolese and NASA Associate Administrator John Grunsfeld, during visit to the cleanroom at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., on May 12, 2014. Credit: Ken Kremer- kenkremer.com

NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, MD NASAs upcoming Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission is comprised of a quartet of identically instrumented observatories aimed at providing the first three-dimensional views of a fundamental process in nature known as magnetic reconnection. They were unveiled to greet NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Monday, May 12, in a rare fully stacked arrangement inside the Goddard clean room.

Universe Today was on hand with NASA Administrator Bolden, Science Chief John Grunsfeld and the MMS mission team at Goddard for a first hand inspection and up close look at the 20 foot tall, four spacecraft stacked configuration in the cleanroom and for interviews about the projects fundamental science goals.

Im visiting with the MMS team today to find out the status of this mission scheduled to launch early in 2015. Its one of many projects here at Goddard, NASA Administrator Bolden told me in an exclusive one-on-one interview at the MMS cleanroom.

MMS will help us study the phenomena known as magnetic reconnection and help us understand how energy from the sun magnetic and otherwise affects our own life here on Earth. MMS will study what effects that process and how the magnetosphere protects Earth.

Magnetic reconnection is the process whereby magnetic fields around Earth connect and disconnect while explosively releasing vast amounts of energy.

Technicians work on NASAs 20-foot-tall Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mated quartet of stacked observatories in the cleanroom at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., on May 12, 2014. Credit: Ken Kremer- kenkremer.com

MMS measurements should lead to significant improvements in models for yielding better predictions of space weather and thereby the resulting impacts on life of Earth as well as satellite explorers in orbit and the heavens beyond.

The four identical spacecraft which are still undergoing testing were stacked in a rarely seen launch arrangement known affectionately as the IHOP configuration because they look like a stack of luscious pancakes.

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NASAs Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission to Provide 1st 3-D View of Earths Magnetic Reconnection Process Cleanroom ...