NASA is set to award $400,000 each to three proposals that describe mission concepts to help researchers examine various parts of the space weather system. Proposers were chosen based on the feasibility and possible scientific application of their development plans for the nine-month concept studies, the agency said Wednesday.
The Extreme Ultraviolet High-Throughput Spectroscopic Telescope Epsilon Mission hopes to determine the role of hot plasma and magnetic field in solar activity and eruptions. The Aeronomy at Earth: Tools for Heliophysics Exploration and Research mission looks to observe the response of the ionosphere-thermosphere system to geomagnetic storms.
The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer mission seeks to examine the structure of an electric current called the auroral electrojet using three small satellites.
Principal investigators for the projects are:
- EUVST: Clarence Korendyke, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
- AETHER: James Clemmons, University of New Hampshire
- EZIE: Jeng-Hwa Yee, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
NASA said it will allocate up to $55M to one mission through the Heliophysics Explorers program.
