NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission is set to uncover a long-standing mystery about auroral electrojets, the powerful electric currents that create the Northern Lights. These electrojets not only produce stunning displays but also disrupt power grids and satellite communications. EZIE, launching during the solar maximum, will use three CubeSats to study these currents and improve space weather predictions.
What Are Auroral Electrojets?
Auroral electrojets are massive electrical currents flowing through Earth’s upper atmosphere. They carry nearly a million amps of electrical charge around the poles every second, causing strong magnetic disturbances on the ground. Sudden changes in these currents can lead to power outages and satellite malfunctions.
To better understand these disruptions, NASA has developed EZIE, a mission designed to track how electrojets form and change. This data will help scientists predict and mitigate the effects of space weather events on Earth.
How EZIE’s CubeSats Will Track Electrojets
EZIE consists of three CubeSats, each about the size of a carry-on suitcase. These satellites will orbit Earth in a synchronized formation, flying pole to pole at an altitude of 350 miles (550 km). Positioned above the electrojets, which flow 60 miles (100 km) above Earth, the CubeSats will map these currents in real time.
By orbiting the same regions just 2 to 10 minutes apart, the satellites will track the rapid changes in electrojets. This approach will offer scientists a detailed view of how these electric currents evolve.
Solving a Decades-Old Space Mystery
Scientists have long debated how electrojets fit into Earth’s vast electrical circuit, which extends 100,000 miles (160,000 km) into space. Ground-based experiments and previous spacecraft have provided limited insights, but EZIE is the first mission solely dedicated to studying electrojets.
“What EZIE does is unique,” said Larry Kepko, mission scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “It’s the first mission focused entirely on electrojets, using a completely new measurement technique.”
Using the Zeeman Effect to Study Magnetic Fields
EZIE will measure electrojets using a technique called the Zeeman effect, which examines how oxygen molecules emit microwaves at a frequency of 118 GHz. The electrojets’ magnetic field splits this emission into separate frequencies, revealing the strength and direction of the currents.
Each EZIE CubeSat will carry a Microwave Electrojet Magnetogram, an instrument developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). These devices will use four antennas to scan electrojets from different angles, mapping their structure with unprecedented accuracy.
Revolutionizing Space Research with CubeSats
The technology behind EZIE was originally designed to study Earth’s weather systems. Engineers at JPL miniaturized these instruments for use on small satellites, demonstrating that CubeSats can conduct cutting-edge science at a lower cost.
“The Zeeman technique is a game-changer,” said Sam Yee, EZIE’s principal investigator at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). “It allows us to study electrojets at an altitude that’s been difficult to measure until now.”
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Citizen Scientists Join the Mission
EZIE isn’t just for NASA scientists—it’s also engaging students and volunteers worldwide. The team will distribute EZIE-Mag magnetometer kits to schools and research groups, allowing them to collect magnetic field data from the ground. This data will be compared to EZIE’s space-based measurements, enhancing the mission’s accuracy.
“EZIE scientists will gather data from orbit, and students will do the same from the ground,” said Nelli Mosavi-Hoyer, EZIE project manager at APL.
Why Launching During Solar Maximum Matters
EZIE will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of the Transporter-13 rideshare mission. The timing is crucial—solar maximum is the most active phase of the Sun’s 11-year cycle, leading to stronger and more frequent space weather events.
“It’s better to launch during solar max,” said Kepko. “The electrojets respond directly to solar activity, so we’ll get the most valuable data.”
Big Science on Small Satellites
EZIE is part of a growing trend in CubeSat-based research, proving that high-impact science can be done with lower-cost missions.
“We’re using the latest CubeSat capabilities,” said Kepko. “A decade ago, this mission wouldn’t have been possible. Now, we’re pushing the limits of what small satellites can do.”
With EZIE set to launch soon, scientists and citizen researchers alike are eagerly waiting to uncover the secrets of Earth’s auroral electrojet
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