NASA and SpaceX are preparing to launch a first-of-its-kind mission to study the powerful electric currents that surge through Earth’s atmosphere during aurora displays. These “auroral electrojets” push millions of amps of electrical charge around the planet’s poles every second, influencing space weather, satellite operations, and even power grids on Earth.
The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission, set to launch this March aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, will send three suitcase-sized CubeSats into orbit to map and analyze these invisible currents with unprecedented precision. The mission will provide critical insights into how auroras shape Earth’s magnetic environment and how solar storms impact both technology and human infrastructure.
Unlocking the Secrets of Auroral Electrojets
Auroral electrojets are powerful electric currents that surge through Earth’s upper atmosphere, creating the dazzling northern and southern lights while also impacting satellites, power grids, and communication systems. Until now, these massive currents have been difficult to measure directly, leaving gaps in our understanding of how space weather affects our planet.
As reported by Space.com, NASA and SpaceX are preparing to launch the Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission, the first-ever space mission dedicated to studying these mysterious currents. Scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, EZIE will deploy three CubeSats into low-Earth orbit to map and analyze auroral electrojets in real-time.
Using a groundbreaking technique known as the Zeeman effect, these satellites will measure microwave emissions from oxygen molecules to detect how electrojets shift, strengthen, and weaken. Scientists hope the data will provide a game-changing breakthrough in space weather forecasting, helping to protect Earth’s infrastructure from solar storms and improve our ability to predict geomagnetic disturbances before they happen.
Why Studying Electrojets Matters
Auroral electrojets aren’t just an atmospheric curiosity—they can have real-world consequences. When solar storms intensify, these currents can become dangerously strong, triggering geomagnetic disturbances that overload power grids, cause satellite malfunctions, and disrupt radio communications. Understanding their behavior is critical for predicting and mitigating space weather hazards.
With the Sun approaching the peak of Solar Cycle 25, the timing for this mission couldn’t be better. Increased solar activity leads to stronger and more frequent geomagnetic storms, making EZIE’s data invaluable for improving space weather forecasting.
According to Sam Yee, the mission’s principal investigator at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, EZIE will provide a game-changing approach to space weather research. “The utilization of the Zeeman technique to remotely map current-induced magnetic fields is really a game-changing approach,” Yee explained.
A Citizen Science Component
Beyond its space-based observations, EZIE will harness the power of citizen scientists. NASA plans to distribute EZIE-Mag magnetometer kits to students and volunteers worldwide, allowing them to collect ground-based magnetic field data. By comparing these Earth-based measurements with EZIE’s spaceborne observations, researchers will gain a fuller picture of how electrojets evolve and interact with Earth’s magnetic field.
“EZIE scientists will be collecting magnetic field data from above, and the students will be collecting magnetic field data from the ground,” said Nelli Mosavi-Hoyer, the mission’s project manager at Johns Hopkins APL. This collaborative effort could significantly enhance our understanding of space weather effects on Earth.
The Role of SpaceX and Future Missions
EZIE will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-13 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch is timed to occur during solar maximum, the peak of the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle, when auroral electrojets are strongest.
The mission will also complement other NASA heliophysics projects, such as the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, which aims to study how material from the Sun forms the solar wind—the driving force behind auroras and space weather disturbances.
