GLAST Prelude Synopsis
- An opening "fanfare" celebrating, in general terms, the overall mission of GLAST.
- The preparation for launch, as GLAST is readied upon the Delta II Heavy rocket, and countdown is begun on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral.
- An interruption — in the midst of the countdown — as if entering a "dream sequence" (in media res) in order to answer the question "How did we get here?" before launch can proceed.
- A GLAST Dream Sequence — in 5 Parts
- A Brief History of Astronomy — one that permits the eventual launch of GLAST: from an early Geo-centric orientation through the Copernican and Galilean revolutions, and on through the later advancements in science, astronomy, and physics that leads us to the present day.
- A Brief Tour of the Electro-Magnetic Spectrum — a temporal, pitch, and intensity progression from the lowest (radio) through the highest (gamma ray) parts of the EM spectrum — culminating in an actual gamma-ray burst.
- A GLAST Interlude — a musical "portrait" of GLAST, conducting its mission in the beauty of its earthly orbit — which then leads to:
- The Instruments: a musical "depiction" of the two instruments aboard GLAST, the LAT (Large Area Telescope) and the GBM (Gamma Burst Monitor) and a bit of the science involved therein.
- A Celebration of the Multi-National Cooperation of GLAST — a musical acknowledgement of six nations involved in bringing GLAST to life: the US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Sweden.
- A return to the launch pad, and a resumption of the countdown.
- Lift-off and the ascent of GLAST aboard the Delta II — through the atmosphere and its push into orbit, the opening of its solar panels, and the beginning of its work as NASA’s latest space telescope.
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GLAST Launch