Nasa is setting up two space missions that will help us understand space weather and the constantly changing space environment.
Space is filled with charged particles and magnetic fields that originate on the Sun. This “solar wind” is turbulent and can damage technology on Earth and in space. Because it is a form of radiation, it can also be harmful to astronauts. Nasa’s two new missions will study the origin of the solar wind and the turbulence within it.
The Multi-slit Solar Explorer (Muse) will study the forces responsible for the heating of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, and the flares and eruptions that help drive space weather. To do this it will use a camera that captures extreme ultraviolet radiation coming from the hot gas in this atmospheric region of the Sun. The HelioSWARM mission consists of nine small spacecraft that will fly in formation to simultaneously measure the conditions of the solar wind across a larger area of space. This will allow the first large scale, in-situ study of turbulence in the solar wind. The missions cost $192m (£140m) and $250m respectively and are expected be ready for launch no later than February 2026.
