NASA CubeSat Finds New Radiation Belts After May 2024 Solar Storm
February 6, 2025 – A NASA CubeSat that launched in 2023 has discovered two new radiation belts around Earth, created by a powerful solar storm in May 2024.
The CubeSat, called “Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion and Composition Experiment” (RBSPICE), was designed to study the Earth’s radiation belts. The belts are regions of intense radiation that surround the planet, and they can pose a hazard to satellites and astronauts.
On May 24, 2024, a powerful solar storm erupted from the Sun. The storm sent a wave of charged particles toward Earth, which caused a geomagnetic storm. The geomagnetic storm caused the Earth’s magnetic field to become distorted, and this allowed the charged particles to penetrate deeper into the atmosphere.
The RBSPICE CubeSat was able to measure the charged particles as they entered the atmosphere. The data from the CubeSat showed that the solar storm had created two new radiation belts around Earth. The new belts are located at about 10,000 and 15,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
The discovery of the new radiation belts is a significant finding. It shows that solar storms can have a major impact on the Earth’s radiation environment. The new belts could pose a hazard to satellites and astronauts, and they could also interfere with communications and navigation systems.
NASA is now working to understand the new radiation belts and their potential impact. The RBSPICE CubeSat will continue to collect data on the belts, and NASA scientists will use this data to develop models to predict their behavior.
The discovery of the new radiation belts is a reminder of the importance of space weather research. Solar storms are a natural part of the Sun’s activity, and they can have a significant impact on the Earth’s environment. NASA’s research on space weather is helping us to understand these storms and their potential impact, so that we can better prepare for them.
NASA CubeSat Finds New Radiation Belts After May 2024 Solar Storm
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