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The Space We Travel Through - Presented by Science@NASA

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When sea-faring nations began to explore new regions of the world,

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one of their biggest concerns in making the journey safely was how to cope with weather.

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They could harness the wind for power. They could rely on the Sun and the stars for navigation.

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They could build sturdy ships. But if a storm rose suddenly, they were at nature’s mercy.

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More than five centuries later, our nation is once again on the cusp of exploring new worlds.

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And once again, one of our concerns about traveling long distances is the weather. Space weather.

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While space is a vacuum – it’s not 100% empty. Particles, energy and magnetic fields travel through the void.

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Much of these emanate from the Sun’s corona, as part of a constant outward flow known as the solar wind

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- which stretches well beyond the orbit of Neptune.

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There are also high energy particles or cosmic rays in the mix, which travel vast distances from dying stars or supernovae.

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Earth’s magnetic field and relatively thick atmosphere act as a shield against the most harmful forms of this radiation,

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but in space there is no such deterrent.

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If we want to travel though this space, we need ways to protect our astronauts.

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These particles can affect our technology, tripping onboard electronics.

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Dr. Yari Collado-Vega, Space Weather Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center notes,

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“We are working hard to forecast when these particles will be at their peak, such as during solar flares or coronal mass ejections.”

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Acute exposure to these solar energetic particles is a serious concern for astronauts and instruments.

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Therefore, having a better understanding of when to expect solar activity

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is important for safely sending our astronauts and spacecraft through space.

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Ironically, such space weather activity can actually protect against another threat to astronauts: 

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The Sun's activity can block dangerous cosmic rays coming from other stars, which are constantly present

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– illustrating the complexity of the system NASA tries to understand and mitigate for our space travelers.

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Over time, sea captains learned when to sail their ships and when to stay in harbor,

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based on their accumulated knowledge of the weather.

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It’s more risky to be on the water in the Caribbean during hurricane season,

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and you’d want to consider avoiding the Northeast coast of America during the height of winter.

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Dr. Collado-Vega says, “It’s very similar to what we’re doing today.

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We’re constantly developing and testing new models to predict space weather.

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And we’re constantly seeking new data to refine those models.”

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A host of heliophysics missions observe space from a variety of vantage points,

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not unlike terrestrial weather sensors, which work in tandem to paint a bigger picture of our space environment.

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In August 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe to help us better understand the Sun’s activity,

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especially what drives the solar wind, and how energetic particles get accelerated.

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This data could be used to improve models of space weather forecasting

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– ultimately helping us find new and better ways to shield our spacecraft and protect our astronauts.

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Whether it was the oceans ancient ships traveled through or the space we will one day travel through, we know this: 

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keeping a watchful eye on the environment around us is key to ensuring safe passage.

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For more information about what matter’s in space, visit science.nasa.gov.