NASA announces two new Solar missions

In addition to being a source of heat and light, the Sun affects the space environment in a variety of ways. To learn more about the Sun and how it affects the space environment, NASA recently announced two new space missions: the multi-slit Solar explorer (MUSE) and HelioSwarm missions.

This bright orb emits radiation and charged particles that interact with the Earth's magnetic field in a complex phenomenon known as space weather. This can affect the health of astronauts when traveling outside the protective layer of the Earth's magnetosphere, and electronic equipment such as satellites in high orbit.

NASA announces Multislit Solar Explorer (MUSE) and HelioSwarm missions.

'MUSE and HelioSwarm will provide new and deeper insights into the Sun's atmosphere along with space weather. These missions not only expand the science of solar physics, but also provide a unique and novel perspective to understand the mystery surrounding this extremely hot orb," said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's science administrator. , said in a statement.

MUSE is the name given to a spacecraft in orbit around the Earth equipped with two ultraviolet (EUV) vision instruments: an EUV spectrometer and an EUV context camera. MUSE's mission is to look at the Sun's corona, how the corona is heated, as well as energy outbursts such as flares or coronal mass ejections that cause time. cosmic weather.

Nicola Fox, Director of the Helicopter Division at NASA Headquarters, said: 'MUSE can help us fill important knowledge gaps related to the relationship between the Sun and Earth, while also providing information for a series of subsequent solar physics missions'.

The second mission, HelioSwarm, consists of a cluster of nine spacecraft that will work together to measure changes in the Sun's magnetic field and the solar wind. These winds blow through the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere (the heliosphere), extending beyond the Sun and beyond the planets of the solar system.

"Technical innovation on HelioSwarm's small satellites optimizes its ability to investigate turbulence and its evolution in the solar wind," said Peg Luce, Vice President of the Helicopters Division.

NASA has yet to announce a launch date for either mission.