NASA announced the launch of two scientific missions that will aim to study the dynamics of the Sun and the connection of the Earth with its stars and the constantly changing space environment. The Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) and HelioSwarm missions will provide a “deeper view” of the cosmos and critical information to help safeguard astronauts, satellites, and communication signals like GPS.

NASA’s Thomas Zurbuchen noted that the “MUSE and HelioSwarm mission will provide a new and deeper perspective on the solar atmosphere and space weather,” offering a “unique perspective” on the “mysteries” of the Sun.

Delving into the cosmos

According to information from the US space agency, the MUSE mission will make it easier for scientists to understand the forces that stimulate the “heating of the solar corona and the eruptions in that outer region that are the basis of space weather.” Through this mission it will be possible to observe the extreme ultraviolet radiation of the Sun and capture images with better resolution of the solar transition region and the corona.

The HelioSwarm mission will allow the first multiscale measurements in space of fluctuations in the magnetic field and movements of the solar wind known as solar wind turbulence.  In order to study the turbulence of the solar wind, it is necessary to take measurements of large areas simultaneously and from different points in space, which is why the HelioSwarm mission is designed as a central spacecraft and eight small satellites in joint orbit.

According to Peg Luce, deputy director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, “the technical innovation of HelioSwarm’s small satellites operating together as a constellation provides the unique ability to investigate turbulence and its evolution in the solar wind.”

M. Rodríguez

Source: primicias.ec

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China will launch its first dedicated heliophysical mission in mid-2022: the Advanced Space-Based Solar Observatory (ASO-S).

The satellite will operate in a synchronous orbit with the sun 720 kilometers above Earth to keep a close watch on the Sun 24 hours a day. With a total mass of about 1,000 kilograms, the satellite is expected to operate for at least four years, according to the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The probe’s main scientific goals include observing the sun’s magnetic field and two major eruptive phenomena, or starbursts, which are solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). It will implement three payloads, including the Full Disc Vector Magnetograph, Hard X-ray Imager, and Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope.

So far, the sun is the only fixed star that humans can study in detail. The vast majority of its radiation is blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere. Only by sending probes into space can a complete image of the sun be presented for further study.

As the sun’s temperament varies in an 11-year cycle and the star enters solar cycle 25, it is estimated that it will reach its maximum radiation around 2025. The solar probe can help obtain detailed records of solar activity during its ascent to peak years, said Gan Weiqun, a researcher at the institute.

The satellite will also realize its potential in predicting space weather. CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections) can be detected at least 40 hours before arrival by the observatory, which is expected to further facilitate early warnings of damage to Earth’s electromagnetic environment.

Since the 1960s, more than 70 satellites related to solar observation have been launched worldwide. The ASO-S is expected to fill China’s gap in this field, according to Gan.

K. Tovar

Source: ECNS

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