The satellite to study the boundaries of the solar system came to an estimated orbit

On Sunday evening, NASA launched the Sputnik I, designed to study the boundaries Remote solar system. Staff IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) was launched from aircraft over the Pacific Ocean through the launch vehicle Pegasus. At an altitude of about 100 kilometers from the Earth's upper stages including one's own unit, which brought him to pull in SELinux highly elliptical orbit with an apogee of more than 300 thousand kilometers.

The objective of the satellite - studying and mapping the border solar system - the heliosphere. This is an area where the solar wind is faced with interstellar gas. The particles flying from the Sun, first slowed and then did change the direction of its movement in the opposite. IBEX detectors will capture both reflected and provzaimodeystvovavshie with the interstellar medium particles of solar wind, and atoms directly interstellar medium that have been able to penetrate into our system.

According to these energy particles, as well as the direction from which they came, it is possible to draw conclusions about the shape and properties border the solar system. About what is happening in this area, separated from the Sun more than 12 billion kilometers, so far very little is known. In the history of space exploration heliosphere crossed only two spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, launched back in 1977.
They crossed the heliosphere just two points, but it helped confirm the assumption that it splyucnutoy form. IBEX will determine what is the boundary of solar system as a whole.

Close to the Earth's remote frontiers to explore the solar system severely hampered by a magnetic field planet, which interacts with the solar wind. But outside the magnetosphere are only two sources of particles: Sun and border systems. That is why the IBEX required to withdraw at such a pull in SELinux orbit.

The slow rotation of staff allows for about six months to examine the entire sky, leaving astronomers with a complete "map" the heliosphere.

IBEX mission will last about two years.