Spacecraft Missions (cont.) The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will be taking a closer look at the Sun, the source of all space weather. The Sun, our closest star, is still a great mystery to scientists. SDO will help us understand where the Sun's energy comes from, how the inside of the Sun works, and how energy is stored and released in the Sun's atmosphere. By better understanding the Sun and how it works, we will be able to better predict and better forecast the "weather out in space" providing earlier warnings to protect our astronauts and satellites floating around out there. SDO is the first satellite under the Living with a Star (LWS) program at NASA. The spacecraft is being designed to fly for five years and is scheduled to launch in 2008.