NASA’s pair of Sun-gazing spacecraft which is finally set to launch tomorrow evening after months of delays seems like an advanced mode of SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft.
The combined observations from these two STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) spacecrafts should allow researchers to monitor the trajectory of eruptions of charged particles from the Sun, called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). If these bursts are on a collision course with Earth, they can endanger space-walking astronauts, damage spacecraft, disrupt satellites and effect power grids on the ground.
With NASA’s pair of sun-gazing spacecraft it will inch scientists closer to being able to predict the coming dangers like these towards the Earth precisely and help researchers predict which solar storms could endanger astronauts or damage satellites. Eventually, this data will be used to forecast space weather.
This new spacecraft will take on the charge from SOHO, which is till recording solar activity almost eleven years after its launch. SOHO will now play a helping hand in predicting the space weather and events affecting our planet.
Via: newscientistspace
