A new NASA mission aims to study one of the most mysterious phenomena surrounding Earth: a vast “ring” of charged particles that moves around the planet and can affect everything from satellites to power grids on Earth.

The mission is called STORIE (Storm Time O+ Ring current Imaging Evolution) and is designed to investigate the so-called “ring current,” a flow of charged particles that forms a giant doughnut-shaped ring around Earth.

Scientists want to answer a crucial question: where do these particles come from? Are they from the Sun, or from Earth itself?

The mission is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 12 via SpaceX CRS-34. NASA will collaborate with the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Department of Defense.

According to Alex Glocer of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and mission lead, these particles are directly linked to “space weather” phenomena, which can cause serious disruptions to satellites, power lines, and other critical infrastructure.

The ring around Earth and solar storms

The Sun constantly emits charged particles through the solar wind, while periods of intense solar activity produce massive bursts of matter and radiation through solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

When these particles reach Earth, they become trapped by the planet’s magnetic field, forming the ring current.

Scientists now want to determine whether some of these particles actually originate from Earth’s own atmosphere.

STORIE will primarily search for oxygen particles within the ring. Researchers explain that oxygen rarely comes from the solar wind, so its presence would indicate a connection to Earth’s atmosphere.

“When you see oxygen, it usually comes from the atmosphere and not the Sun,” Glocer explained.

Scientists will also study what happens when charged particles lose their electrical charge and become high-energy neutral atoms known as ENAs (Energetic Neutral Atoms).

These neutral particles are no longer affected by Earth’s magnetic field and can travel freely in any direction.

Potential impacts on satellites and infrastructure

One of the mission’s main objectives is to better understand how the ring current changes during solar storms.

Researchers will examine how the size, shape, and electrical intensity of the ring vary, and how these changes affect infrastructure on Earth.

NASA notes that solar storms can generate dangerous electrical currents that may damage satellites, pipelines, power grids, and communication systems.

At the same time, increased energy in the ring current can heat Earth’s upper atmosphere, causing it to expand. This increases atmospheric drag on low-orbit satellites, potentially shortening their lifespan by pulling them toward Earth more quickly.

Unlike previous missions with limited observational range, STORIE will be able to study the phenomenon from all angles, completing a full orbit around Earth every 90 minutes.

NASA expects the mission’s data to significantly improve space weather forecasting and help better protect technology from extreme solar activity.