Photo credit: science.nasa.gov
NASA’s EZIE Mission Successfully Launched to Study Earth’s Electrojets
On the evening of March 14, NASA’s latest venture, the Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE), took flight dedicated to exploring the intricate electric currents within Earth’s upper atmosphere. The mission launched at 11:43 p.m. PDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, located near Santa Barbara, California.
The EZIE mission features three small satellites deployed in a ‘pearls-on-a-string’ formation, flying at altitudes ranging from 260 to 370 miles above the Earth. This configuration aims to map the auroral electrojets—intense electric currents visible during auroras in polar regions—thus advancing our comprehension of these phenomena.
Just a few hours after launch, at approximately 2 a.m. PDT on March 15, the EZIE satellites were successfully deployed. Over the next ten days, the missions will communicate signals confirming their operational condition, preparing for an anticipated 18-month exploratory journey.
” NASA is pushing the boundaries by investing in smaller missions that promise significant scientific returns while embracing greater risks,” commented Jared Leisner, the program executive for EZIE at NASA Headquarters. “EZIE is a prime example of how excellent science can be achieved by a capable team.”
The electrojets and the spectacular auroras are triggered by solar storms, which introduce vast amounts of energy into the upper atmosphere due to interactions with the solar wind. Each EZIE satellite plays a crucial role in mapping these currents, enhancing our understanding of the physical dynamics between Earth and its surrounding space—knowledge that is applicable not only to our planet but also to other magnetized bodies in the solar system and beyond. Additionally, these insights will contribute to the development of models that can predict space weather, which is increasingly vital for mitigating its impacts on modern society.
“Seeing our spacecraft operational and gathering critical data is an extraordinary milestone for the EZIE mission,” stated Nelli Mosavi-Hoyer, the project manager at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. “The diligence and expertise of our team have been remarkable, and I eagerly await the insights this mission will provide regarding Earth’s electrojets and the broader field of space weather.”
Rather than employing propulsion for orbital control, the EZIE satellites will utilize atmospheric drag to adjust their positioning within orbit. This innovative approach means that each satellite will pass over specific locations on Earth 2 to 10 minutes after its predecessor.
“Previous missions have examined these currents, but typically at either extremely large or small scales,” elaborated Larry Kepko, the EZIE mission scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “This mission will shed light on how these currents develop and change over time, targeting scales that have not been explored before.”
In addition, the mission team is distributing magnetometer kits known as EZIE-Mag to educators, students, and science enthusiasts. These kits enable participants to conduct their own measurements of the Earth-space electrical current system. The data collected via EZIE-Mag will complement the satellite measurements, creating a comprehensive overview of the interconnected electrical currents at play.
The EZIE mission receives funding from the Heliophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA Goddard. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory spearheads this mission, with CubeSats constructed by Blue Canyon Technologies in Boulder, Colorado, and the Microwave Electrojet Magnetogram—designed to map the electrojets—developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
For continuing updates on this mission, interested individuals can follow NASA’s EZIE blog.
Source
science.nasa.gov