Could a solar storm derail the Artemis II mission?
Every mission to deep space is fraught with danger. A hardware failure during launch, an equipment malfunction far from Earth, or a small space rock hitting the vehicle are all scenarios astronauts will train for.
As humans set off for the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, one persistent threat they face is from solar radiation.
Intense bursts of radiation from the sun, known as solar particle events, can endanger the lives of space travelers, particularly those venturing beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). During these events, high speed, charged particles stream out from the sun and into space.
Exposure to these particles could lead to radiation sickness or, in the worst cases, prove fatal. On space stations and other crewed vehicles traveling in LEO, astronauts are afforded a high degree of protection by the magnetic bubble surrounding Earth (the magnetosphere).
But in interplanetary space, where Artemis II is headed, humans are much more exposed to outpourings of solar radiation.
The sun's magnetic activity fluctuates on a cycle lasting roughly 11 years. During this cycle, sunspots (areas of reduced temperature caused by intense magnetic fields) can cause eruptions known as flares, as well as solar particle events. These rise and fall in frequency with the solar cycle.
The Earth’s magnetosphere acts as a shield, protecting the planet from solar particles. ESA