NASA’s EZIE (Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer) mission, launching to study the Earth’s auroral electrojets, has entered its early operational phase. The mission aims to understand the magnetic fingerprints of auroras using three CubeSats that will map the electrojets in Earth’s polar regions. The mission will help improve space weather predictions that impact astronauts, satellites, and power grids.

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• NASA’s EZIE mission studies auroral electrojets, high-intensity electric currents above Earth’s poles.
• The mission uses three CubeSats that orbit Earth from pole to pole, at 350 miles altitude.
• The satellites will measure magnetic fields created by electrojets in the ionosphere using microwave emissions.
• EZIE is the first mission dedicated exclusively to studying electrojets with the Zeeman splitting technique.
• The mission aims to improve understanding of Earth-Sun connections and predict hazardous space weather.
• EZIE spacecraft use Microwave Electrojet Magnetograms to observe magnetic field strength and direction.
• This mission leverages CubeSat technology, making it cost-effective and efficient for large-scale science.
• Launch scheduled during solar maximum, ensuring stronger solar activity that impacts electrojets.
• EZIE involves citizen scientists to compare satellite data with ground-based magnetic field observations.
• The spacecraft will launch aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 during the Transporter-13 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base.