NASA launches mission to save Earth from space weather

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is set to launch a mission that will send a robot to the sun in preparation for a “huge solar event” that is likely to cause havoc on Earth. The move aims to unveil the mysteries behind the massive hole in the heart of the sun called corona.

The Sun reports that the Solar Plus Probe is set to face heat and radiation that no other has endured as it comes within four million miles of the sun’s surface. It is believed that the corona is cooler than the sun’s atmosphere.

“In order to unlock the mysteries of the corona, but also to protect a society that is increasingly dependent on technology from the threats of space weather, we will send Solar Probe Plus to touch the Sun,” NASA said. The agency explained that the main goals of the mission are to trace the flow of energy, explore what speeds up the solar wind and understand the heating of the solar corona.

To complete the probe, it will fly by Venus seven times in seven years, with speeds of 450,000 miles per hour. The spacecraft will go close enough to the sun, about eight times closer than any man-made object has been, in order to watch the solar wind. It will fly through the birthplace of the highest energy solar particles.

Furthermore, the mission’s official website describes Solar Plus Probe as an “extraordinary and historic mission” to explore the most essential part of the solar system. It ultimately aims to protect the Earth from the threats of space weather as it becomes increasingly dependent on technology. This can be achieved by understanding the structure and dynamics of the plasma, as well as the magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind.

For several years now, scientists have been conducting studies to learn about the possible impact of space-weather events on Earth. The Solar Plus Probe mission is expected to help prepare for threats it might pose.

A study by the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the huge solar event might cause two trillion dollars in damage in the United States alone without an advance warning. It is also likely that the eastern seaboard of the US will have to live without power for one year. The Solar Plus Probe mission is expected to be launched in 2018 to provide new data on solar activity.