NASA is set to launch its groundbreaking CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) this Tuesday, marking a significant step in understanding the sun's radio wave emissions. This innovative mission aims to delve into the origins of solar radio waves, which play a crucial role in driving space weather.
CURIE will embark on its journey aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from the European Space Agency (ESA), launching from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. Once in orbit, the CubeSat will operate at an altitude of approximately 360 miles (580 kilometers) above Earth.
Utilizing the advanced technique of radio interferometry, CURIE seeks to study radio burst emissions from solar eruptions, such as flares and coronal mass ejections within the inner heliosphere. These solar events are key contributors to space weather phenomena, including increased auroral activity and geomagnetic effects that impact Earth.
Designed by a dedicated team from the University of California, Berkeley, CURIE represents the first mission of its kind to measure radio waves in the 0.1-19 MHz frequency range from space. According to ESA, these wavelengths are typically blocked by Earth's upper atmosphere, making space-based research essential for such studies.
NASA highlights that CURIE will employ a novel technique known as low frequency radio interferometry, a method not previously used in space missions. The mission consists of two independent spacecraft, each no larger than a shoebox, orbiting Earth approximately two miles apart. This precise separation enables CURIE's instruments to detect minute differences in the arrival times of radio waves, allowing scientists to accurately pinpoint their origins.
By pioneering this approach, CURIE aims to provide deeper insights into solar radio wave activities and their broader implications for space weather, ultimately enhancing our understanding of the sun-Earth connection.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com