An Atlas V rocket carrying a satellite to study the sun blasted off from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida today, dpa reported. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is the "crown jewel" of a fleet of NASA satellites planned to collect more details about what's going on underneath and above the surface of the sun, said Michael Luther, a NASA official overseeing the programme. Under the Living With a Star programme, scientists said they hope to better predict the sun's periodic release of billions of tons of matter that can endanger human life and health, corrode oil pipelines, disrupt communications and cause power surges. From Earth's orbit, the SDO is to collect data over five years and download 1.5 terabytes every day, which will be managed by a special receiving centre on Earth.
