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	Scientists are particularly interested in Saturn's moon Titan because it's one of the few known moons with its own dense atmosphere. Titan's atmosphere is also thought to be very similar to what Earth's atmosphere was a long time ago. By learning about Titan, we'll learn about our own planet.

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For current information about the NASA Astrobiology Program, please visit http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/

2006-08-01 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Selects Teams for Space Weather Mission and Studies

Four university teams have been selected to provide experiments and supporting hardware for a future NASA mission to study near-Earth space radiation. Called the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, the two-spacecraft mission is scheduled for launch in 2012. The mission will study how accumulations of space radiation form and change during space storms.

Astronauts are exposed to harmful radiation when in orbit around our planet, and studying space radiation is vital for ensuring their safety. Understanding how space radiation could affect future human explorers can help scientist determine the future of life on Earth and beyond.

Space weather, including radiation from the Sun, also has profound effects on our planet. Understanding the connection between the Sun and Earth is important for determining the habitability of other planets. This connection is also important for determining how the Sun's behavior could affect environmental changes on Earth.

More on this story Full text of original item from NASA, Aug 01, 2006

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