Two missions aimed at exploring the Sun and analyzing the space climate close to Earth have been approved by NASA: the EUVST and the EZIE. Both will help, according to the agency, to better understand how the system of celestial bodies present in our region of the Universe works, since unraveling mechanisms of winds and solar flares, in addition to eruptions and ejections of coronal mass, he argues, can help in forecasting events that affect human technology. Almost US $ 110 million was dedicated by the institution.
International partnerships made the projects possible, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), together with others, leads the first, which will use a telescope capable of analyzing phenomena that propagate from the Sun and influence the radiation environment system-wide. In this case, NASA will supply several components listed in a budget of US $ 55 million.
In turn, EZIE, with a trio of CubeSats (miniaturized satellites), will study electrical currents in the Earth’s atmosphere connecting the aurora to the planet’s magnetosphere, also related to the star. The amount earmarked for it is $ 53.3 million.
Nicky Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA headquarters in Washington, celebrates: “We are excited to be working with our international partners to answer some of our fundamental questions about the Sun.”
“With these new missions, we are expanding the way we study the Sun, space and Earth as an interconnected system,” said Peg Luce, deputy director.
Unraveling mysteries
Just to give you an idea of how the star king interferes in our daily lives, electrical phenomena generated by space weather can cause interference in radio and communication signals, in public service networks and damage to orbiting spaceships. In fact, they also provide unique shows, such as the northern lights.
Comprehensive measurements for data surveys with a high level of detail allow scientists to discover different processes and improve studies already underway, driven by new technologies - which do not yet have an implementation start date.
“We are delighted to add these new missions to the growing fleet of satellites that are studying our system using an incredible range of unprecedented observation tools,” concludes Thomas Zurbuchen, associate science administrator at NASA headquarters.
