January 3, 2025
3 min read
Heliophysics Poised for Breakthroughs in 2025
The intricate science of the sun and its influence on the solar system anticipates an exhilarating year ahead.
The sun consistently emits a stream of charged particles known as the solar wind, traveling far beyond Pluto before interacting with the interstellar medium, forming the expansive heliosphere—a protective bubble for our solar system.
If our solar system were to lose some moons or even a planet, it might go unnoticed; however, losing the sun would dramatically alter everything. As the cornerstone of the solar system, the sun remains a subject of intense study as scientists strive to unravel its mysteries and the ways it impacts life on Earth and beyond. The year 2025 is set to be pivotal in this pursuit of knowledge.
Three key elements are converging to create a particularly thrilling landscape for heliophysics: the sun’s natural activity cycle is at a peak, a series of spacecraft are set to launch, and a strategic blueprint outlining the next decade of heliophysics research has recently been unveiled.
Currently, the sun is in the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle and is expected to maintain this intensity for about another year before beginning to decline. While Solar Cycle 25 has not broken records, it has generated numerous solar flares and significant phenomena that scientists have been actively monitoring using advanced instruments, including the largest solar telescope ever constructed and a spacecraft on an unprecedented close journey to the sun.
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Navigating into this new year, NASA is set to launch multiple missions aimed at investigating the sun and its significant role within the solar system. Upcoming missions include the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) to define the boundaries of the sun’s influence, the ESCAPADE mission to study Mars’ space weather, and the PUNCH mission designed to analyze the sun’s outer atmosphere using four small satellites in Earth’s orbit.
Additionally, a newly released decadal report outlines major national science priorities for the next decade, which federal agencies will begin to implement this year. “I’m really excited about it,” stated a leading heliophysicist, emphasizing the report’s aspirational vision for the future.
The decadal report recommends NASA initiate two major spacecraft projects. One involves 26 spacecraft, including two stationed above Earth’s poles to capture images of auroras and the magnetic field, alongside others positioned in diverse orbits to collect localized data. “Coordinating numerous spacecraft will generate an invaluable dataset,” a top official remarked.
The second proposed project aims for a spacecraft to orbit both poles of the sun multiple times within the 11-year solar cycle. While current missions have focused on the sun’s equatorial region, the sun’s poles remain enigmatic areas critical to understanding solar magnetic evolution. “Exploration of the sun’s poles is a challenging endeavor,” an expert noted, indicating this is the next frontier in heliophysics.
On our planet, this ambitious pursuit will be supported by the Next Generation Global Oscillations Network Group (ngGONG), which enhances existing observatories created in 1995, utilizing helioseismology to explore the solar interior through wave observations.
“The ambitious goals outlined will propel us into unexplored territories and fuel discovery,” stated another leading scientist. The upcoming missions are expected to unlock new knowledge and inspire further inquiry into the sun’s mysteries. “We are excited to enter this crucial data-collection phase,” they remarked. “It’s time to move forward.”
