NASA Prepares for Solar Threats on Lunar Missions

NASA and its partners are advancing plans to return humans to the Moon under the Artemis program. A significant challenge is the threat posed by solar activity, which can endanger astronauts with radiation exposure. The Sun, while essential for life on Earth, can be hazardous in space, causing geomagnetic storms that disrupt satellites and electronics.

In 1972, a massive solar storm occurred between Apollo 16 and 17 missions, highlighting the potential dangers. Such events could severely impact astronauts on future lunar missions. NASA and NOAA monitor solar activity to forecast and mitigate these risks, using instruments like CCOR-1 on the GOES-19 satellite and the upcoming SWFO-L1 mission.

The Moon's lack of a protective magnetosphere makes it a valuable site for studying solar history, as its surface records solar activity over millennia. This research is crucial for understanding solar impacts on space exploration and Earth's environment.