WebsiteCompass 5 Scientists can learn a lot about our solar system by studying data from previous missions and through continued observations from Earth. But additional missions really add to their (and our) understanding. That’s why entities in the U.S. and other countries are conducting missions to visit various planets this year. Space Agencies Scope Out the Solar System NASA’s Plans In October 2024, NASA plans to send two satellites, nicknamed Blue and Gold, to orbit Mars. According to Live Science, “The satellites are part of the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission to study how the Martian atmosphere interacts with solar wind.” Japan Goes to Mars Japan also plans to study Mars by sending a spacecraft, Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), on a mission to Phobos, Mars’ largest moon. Launching in September 2024, MMX should establish an orbit around Phobos in 2025. It will then land a module that will collect material from the surface. It’s expected to return with the collected sample in 2029. An Otherworldly Ocean NASA will also study an otherworldly moon, Jupiter’s Europa, which is believed to contain a potentially life-supporting saltwater ocean beneath its icy exterior. The Europa Clipper will launch in October 2024 and is expected to enter an orbit around Jupiter in 2030. During dozens of flybys of Europa, it will gather information and identify possible sites for future landings. Additionally, the U.S.-based private company Rocket Lab will send a spacecraft to Venus to look for organic material in the planet’s atmosphere. The Venus Life Finder is scheduled to leave Earth in December 2024 and reach Venus a year and a half later. QUICK TIP: If you’ll be viewing the eclipse, visit nps.gov/ articles/eclipsesafety.htm to learn how to do it safely. Total Solar Eclipse Offers Scientific Opportunities On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Americans outside of those areas are making travel plans and with good reason. The next time a total solar eclipse will be visible within the contiguous U.S. isn’t until 2044. Scientists are especially eager to view the eclipse because the event offers the opportunity to study how the sun interacts with Earth. Past solar eclipses supported the discovery of helium and provided evidence for the theory of general relativity. In hopes of learning more, NASA is funding several projects that will take place during the event. One project involves capturing images of the eclipse from far above Earth’s surface to learn more about the sun’s corona. In another, radio operators will try to determine how eclipses change the way radio waves travel. Learn more at nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/science-in-the-shadowsnasa-selects-5-experiments-for2024-total-solar-eclipse.
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