NASA will launch four satellites as part of the PUNCH mission to uncover the Sun’s mysteries. By creating an artificial solar eclipse, high-resolution images of the corona will be obtained. The launch is set for February 27 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA is initiating a groundbreaking mission to study the Sun’s greatest mysteries and its effects on the Solar System.
The U.S. space agency announced that under the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, four suitcase-sized satellites will observe solar activity in 3D.
Although Earth is relatively close to the Sun, scientists are still seeking answers to fundamental questions about its operation. One key mystery is why the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, is significantly hotter than its surface. The exact formation process of solar winds and how they accelerate through space also remain unclear.
Through the PUNCH mission, NASA will create an artificial total solar eclipse, allowing unprecedented high-resolution imaging of the Sun’s corona.
Scientists aim to better understand events such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares, which impact Earth and space technologies, and to improve space weather forecasting.
NASA stated, “PUNCH’s measurements will provide scientists with a clearer view of how solar events that reach Earth evolve. This will enhance predictions of space weather effects and potential consequences for robotic exploration.”
The historic launch will take place on February 27 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will carry the four PUNCH satellites into low Earth orbit.