” We are excited for what we will learn from EZIE,” said Peg Luce, acting director of NASAs Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This objective will deepen our knowledge of the Sun-Earth connection and assist us better comprehend the electrical currents that connect stunning aurora to Earths magnetosphere. This is vital since the very same space weather phenomena that power the fantastic aurora can trigger interference with radio and interaction signals and energy grids in the worlds surface, and damage to spacecraft in orbit.”
” Congratulations to the whole EZIE team,” said Bobby Braun, head of the Space Exploration Sector at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. “While theres nothing easy about this mission, this talented groups work has actually established a new requirement for future small satellite missions and set a brand-new bar for NASA public and instructional outreach.”
Led by APL, EZIE will send out a trio of 6U CubeSats to study electrical currents called the auroral electrojets, which flow in Earths ionosphere at altitudes around 65 miles (105 kilometers). These electrical currents are part of the spectacular auroras that bring in countless travelers to the poles every year. They are just a small portion of a vast present running in between Earth and its magnetosphere however can have major unfavorable results on society, consisting of electrical grids and technology in area.
EZIE team members consulted with an independent panel of specialists entrusted with assessing the spacecrafts critical design components and the missions progress for NASA last month on APLs school. During this three-day Critical Design Review (CDR)– a review required of all NASA missions– the team presented slides on a variety of topics, including the missions trajectory design, mission requirements, science objectives, schedule, outreach program, expenses, and dangers.
” This team did a significant task of showing the review panel not only our objective styles and services to the numerous technical challenges of this objective however likewise the strong sense of friendship and partnership we have as a group,” said EZIE Principal Investigator Sam Yee of APL. “Im delighted to have completed this significant action and thrilled to get begun with the next stage of development.”
EZIE will from another location measure the electrojets from an orbit of roughly 200-390 miles (325-675 kilometers) above Earths poles for 18 months, collecting magnetic field information with an ingenious imaging strategy. Utilizing drag experienced while flying through the upper atmosphere, the spacecraft will change how theyre spaced, helping researchers characterize how the electrojets progress every 2-20 minutes.
As part of the EZIE mission, the team has created 700 little magnetometer sets dubbed EZIE-Mag to create a appealing and easy method to include students and teachers across the nation in the mission. The outreach program has actually set a brand-new bar for NASA mission outreach programs. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Craig Weiman
Each spacecraft will bring an instrument constructed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) called the Microwave Electrojet Magnetogram (MEM) to record pictures of both Earths electromagnetic field and the one generated by the auroral electrojets. The instrument does this by making use of a physical phenomenon called Zeeman splitting– the separation of spectral lines of light triggered by a nearby magnetic field. By catching this info, the objective will shine brand-new light on the large electrical currents that connect Earth and area in addition to any other allured planet throughout the planetary system and beyond.
” EZIE is a relatively small mission thats already having an enormous impact, acting as a pathfinder for future heliophysics objectives that are much larger,” said Nelofar Mosavi, the EZIE task manager at APL. “And obviously, the information return and the effect of its outreach program will be beyond step.”
Prior to launch, the EZIE team will disperse 700 sets nicknamed EZIE-Mags to instructors and students across the United States, particularly focusing on Indigenous schools. With the sets, students will be able to build their own mini magnetometers to collect information from the ground that will help contextualize the information EZIE gathers from space.
” I anticipate that our citizen scientist campaign is going to inspire, even train, the next generation of researchers,” Mosavi stated.
” EZIE is truly an ingenious objective and one that will shed much-needed light on a missing out on link in between the action of Earths magnetosphere and the aurora,” said Jason Kalirai, APL mission area executive for Civil Space. “Huge congratulations remain in order for this group, which has actually achieved a lot in so little time.”
With the designs complete, the group can now begin spacecraft and instrument assembly.
The monetary support for EZIE comes from the Heliophysics Division, part of NASAs Science Mission Directorate, and is overseen by the Explorers Program Office at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The mission is directed by APL, responsible for developing, constructing, and monitoring the job, while working in tandem with JPL in Southern California and Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) in Boulder, Colorado.
NASAs EZIE mission has passed an important review and stays on track for a launch next year. The mission intends to study auroral electrojets in Earths ionosphere, supplying insights into the Sun-Earth connection and space weather effects on Earth. “This mission will deepen our knowledge of the Sun-Earth connection and help us better understand the electrical currents that connect stunning aurora to Earths magnetosphere. As part of the EZIE objective, the group has designed 700 little magnetometer sets dubbed EZIE-Mag to develop a appealing and simple way to include students and instructors across the nation in the mission. By capturing this details, the mission will shine brand-new light on the vast electrical currents that link Earth and area as well as any other allured planet throughout the solar system and beyond.
The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE)– is a SmallSat mission that will characterize the electric currents that link Earths aurora to the planets magnetosphere. This illustration reveals the 3 EZIE spacecraft orbiting above the aurora at one of Earths poles Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben
NASAs Electrojet Explorer Mission Passes Critical Development Milestone
NASAs EZIE mission has actually passed a critique and remains on track for a launch next year. The objective intends to study auroral electrojets in Earths ionosphere, supplying insights into the Sun-Earth connection and area weather effects on Earth. The task will likewise disperse educational sets to influence the next generation of researchers.
With an orbit that will take it from pole to pole, NASAs Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) objective will supply never-before-seen imaging of the electrical currents that link our world and the surrounding area. Prior to it can do that, the EZIE group has to pass a series of evaluations to show the mission is on track.
On March 23, the team successfully cleared one of those critiques, marking a major turning point for the project and keeping it on pace for a set up launch next year.