2 newly launched NASA missions will help scientists understand the influence of the Sun, both from up close and afar
Ryan French, University of Colorado Boulder Even at a distance of 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) away, activity on the Sun can have adverse effects on technological systems on Earth. Solar flares – intense bursts of energy in the Sun’s atmosphere – and coronal mass ejections – eruptions of plasma from the Sun – can affect the communications, satellite navigation and power grid systems that keep society functioning. On Sept. 24, 2025, NASA launched two new missions to study the influence of the Sun on the solar system, with further missions scheduled for 2026 and beyond. I’m an astrophysicist who researches the Sun, which makes me a solar physicist. Solar physics is part of the wider field of heliophysics, which is the study of the Sun and its influence throughout the solar system. The field investigates the conditions at a wide range of locations on and around the Sun, ranging from its interior, surface and atmosphere, and the constant stream of particles flowing from the Sun – called the the solar wind. It also investigates the interaction between the solar wind and the atmospheres and magnetic fields of planets.
The importance of space weather
Heliophysics intersects heavily with space weather, which is the influence of solar activity on humanity’s technological infrastructure. In May 2024, scientists observed the strongest space weather event since 2003. Several Earth-directed coronal mass ejections erupted from the Sun, causing an extreme geomagnetic storm as they interacted with Earth’s magnetic field. This event produced a beautiful light show of the aurora across the world, providing a view of the northern and southern lights to tens of millions of people at lower latitudes for the first time. However, geomagnetic storms come with a darker side. The same event triggered overheating alarms in power grids around the world, and triggered a loss in satellite navigation that may have cost the U.S. agricultural industry half a billion dollars. However, this is far from the worst space weather event on record, with stronger events in 1989 and 2003 knocking out power grids in Canadaand Sweden. But even those events were small compared with the largest space weather event in recorded history, which took place in September 1859. This event, considered the worst-case scenario for extreme space weather, was called the Carrington Event. The Carrington Event produced widespread aurora, visible even close to the equator, and caused disruption to telegraph machines. If an event like the Carrington event occurred today, it could cause widespread power outages, losses of satellites, days of grounded flights and more. Because space weather can be so destructive to human infrastructure, scientists want to better understand these events.
NASA’s heliophysics missions
NASA has a vast suite of instruments in space that aim to better understand our heliosphere, the region of the solar system in which the Sun has significant influence. The most famous of these missions include the Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, the Solar Dynamics Observatory, launched in 2010, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, launched in 1995, and the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere, launched on March 11, 2025. The most recent additions to NASA’s collection of heliophysics missions launched on Sept. 24, 2025: Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, or IMAP, and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory. Together, these instruments will collect data across a wide range of locations throughout the solar system. IMAP is en route to a region in space called Lagrange Point 1. This is a location 1% closer to the Sun than Earth, where the balancing gravity of the Earth and Sun allow spacecraft to stay in a stable orbit. IMAP contains 10 scientific instruments with varying science goals, ranging from measuring the solar wind in real time to improve forecasting of space weather that could arrive at Earth, to mapping the outer boundary between the heliosphere and interstellar space.IMAP will study the solar wind from a region in space nearer to the Sun where spacecraft can stay in a stable orbit. This latter goal is unique, something scientists have never attempted before. It will achieve this goal by measuring the origins of energetic neutral atoms, a type of uncharged particle. These particles are produced by plasma, a charged gas of electrons and protons, throughout the heliosphere. By tracking the origins of incoming energetic neutral atoms, IMAP will build a map of the heliosphere. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is heading to the same Lagrange-1 orbit as IMAP, but with a very different science target. Instead of mapping all the way to the very edge of the heliosphere, the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is observing a different target – Earth’s exosphere. The exosphere is the uppermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere, 375 miles (600 kilometers) above the ground. It borders outer space. Specifically, the mission will observe ultraviolet light emitted by hydrogen within the exosphere, called the geocorona. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory has two primary objectives. The first relates directly to space weather. The observatory will measure how the exosphere – our atmosphere’s first line of defense from the Sun – changes during extreme space weather events. The second objective relates more to Earth sciences: The observatory will measure how water is transported from Earth’s surface up into the exosphere.The first image of Earth’s outer atmosphere, the geocorona, taken from a telescope designed and built by the late American space physicist and engineer George Carruthers. The telescope took the image while on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission in 1972.G. Carruthers (NRL) et al./Far UV Camera/NASA/Apollo 16, CC BY
Looking forward
IMAP and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory are two heliophysics missions researching very different parts of the heliosphere. In the coming years, future NASA missions will launch to measure the object at the center of heliophysics – the Sun. In 2026, the Sun Coronal Ejection Tracker is planned to launch. It is a small satellite the size of a shoebox – called a CubeSat – with the aim to study how coronal mass ejections change as they travel through the Sun’s atmosphere. In 2027, NASA plans to launch the much larger Multi-slit Solar Explorer to capture high-resolution measurements of the Sun’s corona using a state-of-the-art instrumentation. This mission will work to understand the origins of solar flares, coronal mass ejections and heating within the Sun’s atmosphere. Ryan French, Research Scientist, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Valerie Thomas is a true pioneer in the world of science and technology. A NASA engineer and physicist, she is best known for inventing the illusion transmitter, a groundbreaking device that creates 3D images using concave mirrors. This invention laid the foundation for modern 3D imaging and virtual reality technologies.
Beyond her inventions, Thomas broke barriers as an African American woman in STEM, mentoring countless young scientists and advocating for diversity in science and engineering. Her work at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center helped advance satellite technology and data visualization, making her contributions both innovative and enduring.
In our latest short video, we highlight Valerie Thomas’ remarkable journey—from her early passion for science to her groundbreaking work at NASA. Watch and be inspired by a true STEM pioneer whose legacy continues to shape the future of space and technology.
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Beneath the Waves: The Global Push to Build Undersea Railways
Undersea railways are transforming transportation, turning oceans from barriers into gateways. Proven by tunnels like the Channel and Seikan, these innovations offer cleaner, reliable connections for passengers and freight. Ongoing projects in China and Europe, alongside future proposals, signal a new era of global mobility beneath the waves.
Trains beneath the ocean are no longer science fiction—they’re already in operation.
For most of modern history, oceans have acted as natural barriers—dividing nations, slowing trade, and shaping how cities grow. But beneath the waves, a quiet transportation revolution is underway. Infrastructure once limited by geography is now being reimagined through undersea railways.
Undersea rail tunnels—like the Channel Tunnel and Japan’s Seikan Tunnel—proved decades ago that trains could reliably travel beneath the ocean floor. Today, new projects are expanding that vision even further.
Around the world, engineers and governments are investing in undersea railways—tunnels that allow high-speed trains to travel beneath oceans and seas. Once considered science fiction, these projects are now operational, under construction, or actively being planned.
Undersea Rail Is Already a Reality
Japan’s Seikan Tunnel and the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France proved decades ago that undersea railways are not only possible, but reliable. These tunnels carry passengers and freight beneath the sea every day, reshaping regional connectivity.
Undersea railways are cleaner than short-haul flights, more resilient than bridges, and capable of lasting more than a century. As climate pressures and congestion increase, rail beneath the sea is emerging as a practical solution for future mobility.
What’s Being Built Right Now
China is currently constructing the Jintang Undersea Railway Tunnel as part of the Ningbo–Zhoushan high-speed rail line, while Europe’s Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will soon connect Denmark and Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. These projects highlight how transportation and technology are converging to solve modern mobility challenges.
Blue Origin Launches First Human Spaceflight of 2026 with New Shepard NS-38
Blue Origin successfully completed its first human spaceflight of 2026 with New Shepard NS-38, carrying six private astronauts and marking 98 humans flown to space.
Blue Origin has officially kicked off its 2026 flight calendar, successfully completing the 38th mission of its New Shepard program and further solidifying its role in commercial human spaceflight.
The suborbital flight, known as NS-38, carried six private astronauts beyond the Kármán line, offering several minutes of weightlessness and sweeping views of Earth before a safe return to West Texas. The mission marks the first New Shepard launch of 2026 and another milestone for Blue Origin’s reusable spaceflight system.
With this flight, New Shepard has now flown 98 humans into space, representing 92 individual passengers. The growing total reflects Blue Origin’s emphasis on routine, repeatable access to space—once considered experimental, now becoming operational.
A Reliable Start to 2026
Blue Origin leadership emphasized reliability and customer trust as central priorities moving into the new year.
“As we enter 2026, we’re focused on continuing to deliver transformational experiences for our customers through the proven capability and reliability of New Shepard,” said Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President of New Shepard. “We are grateful for our astronaut customers who put their trust in our team to bring this experience into reality.”
The fully reusable New Shepard rocket and capsule system has demonstrated strong safety performance, autonomous operations, and consistent recovery—key elements in scaling human spaceflight.
Building Toward a Larger Vision
Beyond space tourism, New Shepard plays a foundational role in Blue Origin’s long-term goal of enabling millions of people to live and work in space for the benefit of Earth.
As the company’s first operational human spaceflight system, New Shepard supports:
Reusable launch vehicle testing
Human-rated safety system validation
Increased launch cadence and manufacturing expertise
Future Blue Origin programs and missions
Each successful flight expands operational confidence while helping normalize commercial access to space.
What’s Next for Aspiring Astronauts
Blue Origin continues to accept interest from future New Shepard passengers, with additional flights expected throughout 2026. The company also released commemorative merchandise from the NS-38 mission, now available through the Blue Origin Shop.
As commercial spaceflight matures, missions like NS-38 highlight the industry’s shift from novelty to normalcy—bringing space closer to scientists, explorers, and private citizens alike.
For more updates, insights, and in-depth coverage of space exploration and commercial spaceflight, visit the STM Daily News blog at stmdailynews.com. From mission breakdowns to industry trends and technology explainers, STM Daily News keeps you informed about humanity’s journey beyond Earth.
