NASA launches twin satellites to study space storms

SpaceX launches mission to help forecast space weather and auroras.
Twin NASA satellites launched to study how solar storms impact Earth's magnetic field.

NASA has launched two TRACERS satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to study space weather near Earth’s poles.

These identical spacecraft will probe the polar cusps in Earth’s magnetic field better to understand the origins and dynamics of geomagnetic storms.

Magnetic reconnection, a process where solar wind collides with Earth’s magnetosphere, is central in triggering auroras and potentially damaging solar storms.

Using tandem satellites, scientists can now monitor changes in real time, offering insights that single-orbiting spacecraft could not provide.

The mission aims to record around 3,000 reconnection events over the next year, helping researchers determine how solar energy enters Earth’s system.

By doing so, they hope to improve forecasting of disruptive space weather events that can impact GPS, satellites, and power grids.

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