NASA STORIE mission completes design, build and testing campaign
Updated
Updated · svs.gsfc.nasa.gov · Apr 29
NASA STORIE mission completes design, build and testing campaign
4 articles · Updated · svs.gsfc.nasa.gov · Apr 29
The instrument finished work at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and is due to launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in May 2026.
Mounted outside the International Space Station for a six-month mission, STORIE will use neutral atom imaging to study Earth’s ring current from an inside-out perspective.
NASA says the data should clarify the ring current’s composition and intensity and improve understanding of geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellites, pipelines, power lines and other systems.
Could STORIE’s findings prompt new global strategies for safeguarding satellites and power grids from future solar superstorms?
What previously hidden features of Earth’s ring current could STORIE reveal, and how might this reshape our understanding of geomagnetic storms?
NASA and U.S. Space Force Collaborate on STORIE to Revolutionize Ring Current Observations and Space Weather Defense
Overview
NASA's STORIE mission, launching on May 12, 2026, will deliver a cutting-edge instrument to the ISS, where it will be installed on the Columbus module to gain a unique inside-out view of Earth's ring current. Using Energetic Neutral Atom imaging, STORIE will track charged particles, especially oxygen ions, to reveal how the ring current forms and changes during solar storms. This data will improve space weather models and forecasts, helping protect power grids, satellites, and aviation from geomagnetic storm impacts. The mission benefits from a NASA-Space Force partnership and specialized shielding to operate effectively in low Earth orbit, marking a major advance in space weather understanding and resilience.