Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Earth’s Sun can toss out powerful solar storms that can impact infrastructure on Earth’s surface, in near-Earth orbit, including Artemis-era astronaut travel to and from the Moon.

BOULDER, Colorado — The sending of Artemis astronauts beyond the protective cocoon of Earth’s magnetic field to the Moon is spurring a look at flight rules and sharpening space weather forecasting skills.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) here is working with NASA space radiation specialists to bolster space weather support for human expeditions to the Moon.

If schedule holds, in late 2025, NASA’s Artemis II mission is to be the first crewed sojourn to the vicinity of the Moon, a 10-day outing, and the first human voyage to that distance since Apollo-era moonwalker flights ended in December 1972.

Inside look at Orion capsule.
Image credit: NASA/Steve Johnson

Given the recent powerful solar eruptions, what impact on Artemis operations would have happened if a crewed mission was now underway?

Take a look at my new SpaceNews story – “How Artemis astronauts will be protected from solar storms” – at:

https://spacenews.com/how-artemis-astronauts-protected-solar-storms/