Al Gore shakes the hand of Center Director Bob Cabana before a briefing on NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory mission.

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, former Vice President Al Gore, right, shakes the hand of Center Director Bob Cabana before a briefing on NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory mission, or DSCOVR. Joining them are John Grunsfeld, left, NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, and Sen. Bill Nelson. DSCOVR will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is a partnership between NOAA, NASA and the U.S. Air Force. DSCOVR will maintain the nation's real-time solar wind monitoring capabilities which are critical to the accuracy and lead time of NOAA's space weather alerts and forecasts. To learn more about DSCOVR, visit http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/DSCOVR. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett