NASA and Space Force launch STORIE to study ring current
Technology
NASA and the US Space Force are teaming up for the STORIE mission, launching May 12, 2026, on a SpaceX flight to the International Space Station.
The mission will focus on Earth's ring current, a doughnut-shaped zone around our planet that traps charged particles.
STORIE provides 90-minute ring current views
STORIE is set to figure out where these particles come from (the sun or Earth's own atmosphere) and how solar storms change the ring current's shape and strength.
This matters because those changes can mess with satellites and even power grids back on Earth.
STORIE will give scientists a full view of these changes every 90 minutes — helping us predict space weather better and keep our tech safer.