NASA proposes Explorers' Program missions to stuy dynamics of the Sun

On August 31, NASA anunced that it has initiated at least nine proposals under its Explorers Program for research on transformational science about Sun and environment. In a release, ncy said that program will fill ‘science gaps’ between NASA’s larger missions and provide invative ideas for small and cost-constrained missions. scientists will conduct research and studies in vital and specialized areas such as heliophysics. Of total, as many as eight missions will focus on scientific investigations and one for techlogical development of instrumentation as per NASA. 

“ Explorers Program seeks invative ideas for small and cost-constrained missions that can help unravel mysteries of Universe,” said Paul Hertz, director of NASA’s Astrophysics Division and selection official.

“se missions absolutely meet that standard with proposals to solve mysteries about Sun’s corona, Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere, and solar wind.”

Under NASA’s proposals, 5 Heliophysics Small Explorer missions, and two Explorer Missions of Opportunity Small Complete Missions (SCM), concept studies will be conducted. Furr, or studies will be conducted in areas such as terrestrial wear in near-Earth environment; magnetic energy; solar wind; and heating and energy released in solar atmosphere. While NASA’s smaller projects might cost an estimated $165 million each, larger Mission of Opportunity might cost ncy around $55 million each. Additionally, NASA revealed that $1.25 million will be dedicated to Heliophysics Small Explorer mission for an 11-month mission concept study. 

[NASA has chosen two new science proposals for nine-month concept studies to advance our understanding of how particles and energy in – shown here flowing from Sun in an illustration of solar wind – affect fundamental nature of . Credit: NASA]

[NASA has chosen three mission proposals for concept studies to help us better understand dynamic wear system driven by Sun that manifests near Earth. Credit: NASA]

“A Partner Mission of Opportunity (PMO) proposal has been selected for components and scientific analysis for three in situ payload instruments aboard Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) mission – one of four proposed missions currently under consideration by ESA (European ncy).

After ESA’s final selection, work will begin on implementation of PMO only if THOR is selected,” NASA wrote in release.

THOR mission provides components and scientific analysis for an investigation into how plasma is heated and accelerated by dissipation of turbulent fluctuations through kinetic processes. THOR-US study was conducted prior to NASA’s Explorer Program by Harald Kucharek at University of New Hampshire in Durham. Or than that a COronal Spectrographic Imr in Extreme ultraviolet (COSIE) study would provide a missing link between physics of low corona and that of heliosphere with a unique and invative instrument based on International Station. study will be conducted by Leon Golub at Smithsonian Institution/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

[Million-degree plasma in sun's atmosphere began to cool and fall to surface, resulting in a dazzling magnetic display kwn as coronal rain. Credit: NASA]

Furr, Mechanisms of Energetic Mass Ejection – eXplorer (MEME-X), study will involve mapping of universal physical processes of lower geo system that will help to understand how ions leave Earth’s atmosphere. This study would be conducted by Thomas Moore at NASA’s Goddard Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. FOXSI is a solar-dedicated, direct-imaging, Hard X-Ray telescope that will detect hot plasma and energetic electrons around sun at Goddard.

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Filling fundamental gaps in kwledge

NASA's Multi-Slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) study is aimed at advanced understanding of complex mechanisms of sun, which will be conducted by Lockheed Martin Inc. in Palo Alto, California. Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) study by University of Iowa will fill a fundamental gap in kwledge of global variability in magnetopause reconnection. Polarimeter to Unify Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) is dedicated to coronal structures fuel ambient solar wind. or studies namely Sun Radio Interferometer Experiment (SunRISE) and Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) will focus on sun’s critical heliophysics problems regarding how solar energetic particles are accelerated and released and solar atmospheric gravity waves.

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