BARREL Daily update Dec. 21

The first of our Daily updates. We're getting close to our first possible launch date so we're going to start our daily updates! Our flight readiness review is scheduled for Dec. 23rd and if it is completed successfully we may be able to launch late Monday night! It would be a very Happy Christmas present 

The Sun seems to have been quiet over the past few days, but the sun spot number is higher than we ever saw it during last years campaign. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

The team Halley team is already at the base and have a payload ready to go. The other team is still on there way to SANAE. As we get updates we'll keep you informed.

Ground Weather:
SANAE IV: 
Temp.: -6 C
Wind speed: 16 knots 

Halley 6: 
Temp.: -5.3 C
Wind speed: 17 knots 


Payloads up: Our first possible launch date is late on the day of Dec. 23rd. 
SANAE IV: none  
Halley 6:  none. 

Payloads coming down:
none 

Recent possible events: 
none.

Halley Bay :
quiet with some EMIC and other ULF activity. 

GOES Electron Flux:
Have continued to be at normal to moderate levels and are expected to be the same for the next three days 

GOES Proton Flux:
Has stayed at background levels for the lat 24 hours and is expected to be the same over the next three days 

Space Weather from Spaceweather.com and SWPC.noaa.gov 
Solar wind speed: 334.4 km/s 
Solar proton density: 1.6 cm^(-3)  

Sun spot number: 137  
NOAA has the likelihood of a M class flare at 40% and a 10% chance of an X class flare.  

Kp is quiet 
kp = 1 with a 24 max of kp = 2

Bz = 2.1 nT north 
Btotal = 3.9 nT  

There is a Coronal hole in the northern hemisphere which could possible hit Earth by Dec. 25th, perhaps there will be some green and red lights in the sky for Christmas :).   

From Kyoto:
AE: very quiet.  

Dst: very quiet.   

Have a good day!