South Korea’s first astronaut will take action shots of the “mega lightning” in the Earth’s stratosphere. Mega lightning starts 9 to 12 miles above the Earth, and shoots upwards into space, reaching the upper mesosphere 60 miles up. (Internet whackjobs claim this “super lightning” destroyed the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003.) Ko San will use specially designed micro-machined equipment to record the phenomenon.
Korean scientists have developed a new telescope which takes thousands of frames in a few seconds, using Micro-Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. The ability to machine small pieces of equipment, and silicon chips, allows researchers to create micro-shutters and micro-optical devices. The MEMS telescope’s high quantity of images will allow scientists to study mega lightning in detail for the first time. Ko San blasts off April 6 from Kazakhstan. Mega-lightning image from NOAA’s Severe Storms Laboratory. [Yonhap News]
