{"id":8625,"date":"2026-03-16T18:42:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/ground_post\/to-protect-artemis-ii-astronauts-nasa-experts-keep-eyes-on-sun\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T18:42:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:42:20","slug":"to-protect-artemis-ii-astronauts-nasa-experts-keep-eyes-on-sun","status":"publish","type":"ground_post","link":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/ground_post\/to-protect-artemis-ii-astronauts-nasa-experts-keep-eyes-on-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"To Protect Artemis II Astronauts, NASA Experts Keep Eyes\u00a0on Sun\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>As four astronauts travel around the Moon on NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission, they\u00a0will\u00a0venture beyond Earth&#8217;s protective magnetic field. The crew\u2019s spacecraft, Orion, will carry and protect them as they journey into deep space and serves as the main protection against the Sun\u2019s intense power.\u202f During their\u00a010-day\u00a0flight, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)\u00a0will\u00a0monitor\u00a0the Sun around the clock\u00a0and\u00a0translate\u00a0space weather conditions into real-time decisions to protect the astronauts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Space weather refers to\u00a0the\u00a0changing conditions driven by\u00a0solar\u00a0wind and eruptions from the Sun.\u00a0Solar flares are the most powerful eruptions in the solar system, the strongest unleashing\u00a0more\u00a0energy\u00a0than\u00a0a billion hydrogen bombs. Coronal mass ejections are giant clouds of solar particles hundreds of times the size of Earth that burst from the Sun.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While both\u00a0flares and coronal mass ejections\u00a0can\u00a0affect technology,\u00a0the primary concern\u00a0for astronauts\u00a0is the\u00a0solar particle events they can trigger, accelerating some particles to near light speed. If a\u00a0significant\u00a0solar particle event\u00a0occurs near\u00a0the Artemis II crew, it could raise radiation levels inside the\u00a0spacecraft.\u00a0Too high a total lifetime exposure can contribute to increased risks of developing\u00a0cancer\u00a0or\u00a0health disorders that could impair cognition and performance.\u00a0During the Artemis II mission, NASA\u00a0will\u00a0minimize that risk.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Artemis II: Into the Path of Solar Eruptions\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bX0hv0EFKnI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For the first time in half a century, four astronauts are leaving Earth\u2019s protective magnetic field to enter a realm where massive solar eruptions can unleash more energy than a billion hydrogen bombs. The Artemis II crew will fly through a dangerous environment, but they\u2019re not going it alone. On the voyage, the astronauts and their Orion capsule are outfitted with radiation trackers as ground teams monitor solar eruptions 24\/7. Here\u2019s how NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are protecting explorers from the most powerful eruptions in the solar system. <br \/><strong>NASA\/Joy Ng<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOur focus will be real-time space weather analysis, prioritizing solar energetic particles and events that could produce them,\u201d said Mary Aronne,\u00a0operations\u00a0lead for the space weather analysis office at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u201cWe\u2019re looking for the trigger, which would typically be a flare or a coronal mass ejection.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Goddard team will\u00a0track\u00a0any solar\u00a0eruptions that occur,\u00a0measuring\u00a0how big\u00a0they\u00a0are, how fast\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0moving, and how likely\u00a0they are to\u00a0generate energetic particles that will cross Orion\u2019s path.\u00a0To this end, they\u2019ll use\u00a0real-time data from Sun-watching spacecraft\u00a0strategically placed across the solar system, such as\u00a0NASA\u2019s\u00a0recently launched Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe,\u00a0NASA\u2019s Solar\u00a0Dynamics Observatory, the ESA (European Space Agency)\/NASA Solar and\u00a0Heliospheric\u00a0Observatory, NOAA\u2019s Geostationary Operational\u00a0Environmental Satellites-19 satellite, and many others.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other\u00a0NASA\u00a0spacecraft\u00a0also\u00a0will help\u00a0monitor\u00a0the Sun. Due to Mars\u2019 current position, NASA\u2019s\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mars-2020-perseverance\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Perseverance Mars rover<\/a>\u00a0can look at the far side of the Sun, where Earth has no view. The rover\u2019s\u00a0Mastcam-Z cameras\u00a0can give NASA\u2019s space weather teams\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/photojournal\/perseverance-views-sunspots\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a view of the largest sunspots<\/a>\u00a0up to two weeks earlier so the team can\u00a0monitor\u00a0and prepare for\u00a0possible\u00a0solar flares.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Energetic\u00a0solar\u00a0particles\u00a0don&#8217;t\u00a0stream straight out from the Sun. They spiral along the Sun\u2019s magnetic field lines, tracing loops tens of thousands of miles across\u00a0and\u00a0scattering\u00a0due to particle collisions along the way.\u00a0The\u00a0chaotic swarm\u00a0is\u00a0so large that, from inside it,\u00a0particles\u00a0seem to be\u00a0coming from every direction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s more like you\u2019re sitting in a bathtub and it\u2019s gradually filling with water,\u201d said Stuart George, a space radiation analyst at NASA Johnson.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That gradual rise\u00a0in radiation\u00a0gives analysts time to evaluate the situation. Inside Orion, six radiation sensors,\u00a0part of the\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/artemis\/artemis-1\/artemis-i-radiation-measurements-validate-orion-safety-for-astronauts\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hybrid Electronic Radiation Assessor<\/a>\u00a0system\u00a0designed and built by NASA,\u00a0measure dose rates in\u00a0different parts\u00a0of the cabin. Artemis II astronauts also wear personal radiation\u00a0trackers\u00a0called\u00a0crew\u00a0active\u00a0dosimeters.\u00a0If radiation levels increase, Orion\u2019s onboard systems display warnings accompanied by an audible alarm.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u00a0has\u00a0dosage level thresholds\u00a0they&#8217;ll\u00a0look for inside\u00a0Orion. The first threshold signals\u00a0a caution, prompting closer monitoring and coordination with medical and flight operations teams. A higher threshold triggers a recommendation for the crew to take shelter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Radiation shielding in space is\u00a0all\u00a0about mass. Charged particles are slowed and absorbed as they pass through matter. Astronauts are trained to reconfigure their cabin\u00a0during\u00a0a solar particle event,\u00a0removing\u00a0stowed equipment from storage bays and securing\u00a0it along areas of the cabin\u00a0to add\u00a0mass between themselves and incoming particles.\u00a0Since Artemis II is the first crewed Artemis mission,\u00a0testing this procedure in the Orion spacecraft is a major\u00a0objective\u00a0of the\u00a0mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce crews\u00a0add mass to the places that tend to be hotter in terms of radiation exposure, they can\u00a0then\u00a0continue to go about their\u00a0duties,\u201d George said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0complexity of solar particle events is one reason NASA\u00a0places spacecraft across the solar system. During a solar storm in January, NASA analysts tracked a coronal mass ejection on its way to Earth. When\u00a0it\u00a0arrived, satellites detected two distinct spikes in energetic particles where there would normally be one.\u00a0Measurements from\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/ames\/what-is-biosentinel\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NASA\u2019s\u00a0BioSentinel\u00a0CubeSat<\/a>,\u00a0deployed during the Artemis I mission, revealed\u00a0what happened.\u00a0The\u00a0spacecraft, about 55 million miles away\u00a0from Earth,\u00a0detected\u00a0a\u00a0distinct eruption\u00a0that later\u00a0merged with the coronal mass ejection headed to Earth.\u00a0Ultimately,\u00a0two\u00a0separate eruptions occurred.<\/p>\n<p>The crew\u00a0also\u00a0must\u00a0account\u00a0for\u00a0exposure to\u00a0Earth\u2019s radiation belts and\u00a0galactic\u00a0cosmic rays.\u00a0The\u00a0Van Allen Radiation Belts\u00a0are\u00a0two rings of\u00a0high energy particles\u00a0that surround our planet. Any mission headed to the Moon or farther must pass through them.\u00a0Galactic cosmic rays\u00a0are\u00a0very high-energy\u00a0particles\u00a0from sources\u00a0beyond our solar\u00a0system.\u00a0Together, the radiation exposure from\u00a0these sources\u00a0is expected to be comparable to a 1-month stay on the International Space Station, or\u00a0about 5% of an astronaut\u2019s career limit.\u00a0Any exposure from solar radiation events would add to this baseline.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office, based at NASA Goddard, continuously assesses solar activity and any eruptions that occur. The team shares its analysis with the Space Radiation Analysis Group, based at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Together, their forecasts and those from\u00a0NOAA\u2019s Space Weather Prediction Center, plus\u00a0real-time measurements from inside\u00a0the\u00a0Orion\u00a0spacecraft\u00a0will inform recommendations for the\u00a0flight control team.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>By <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/artemis\/artemis-2\/to-protect-artemis-ii-astronauts-nasa-experts-keep-eyes-on-sun\/mailto:miles.s.hatfield@nasa.gov\">Miles Hatfield<\/a><\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/artemis\/artemis-2\/to-protect-artemis-ii-astronauts-nasa-experts-keep-eyes-on-sun\/?rand=6349\" target=\"_blank\">Source link <\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As four astronauts travel around the Moon on NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission, they\u00a0will\u00a0venture beyond Earth&#8217;s protective magnetic field. The crew\u2019s spacecraft, Orion, will carry and protect them as they journey into deep space and serves as the main protection against the Sun\u2019s intense power.\u202f During their\u00a010-day\u00a0flight, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)\u00a0will\u00a0monitor\u00a0the Sun around the clock\u00a0and\u00a0translate\u00a0space weather&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":99022,"featured_media":8626,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"tags":[2102,2103,2104,2105,374,819,373],"ground_category":[137,140],"class_list":["post-8625","ground_post","type-ground_post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-artemis","tag-astronauts","tag-experts","tag-eyeson","tag-nasa","tag-protect","tag-sun","ground_category-1-grounds-science","ground_category-1-3-discover-solar"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/content\/dam\/science\/hpd\/space-weather\/SDO_02-04-26_1216UT_X4_131-171_V3.jpg\/jcr:content\/renditions\/cq5dam.web.1280.1280.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ground_post\/8625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ground_post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ground_post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99022"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ground_post\/8625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8625"},{"taxonomy":"ground_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/godshand.link\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ground_category?post=8625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}