NASA launches CANVAS to study radio waves for space weather
Technology
NASA just launched its CANVAS CubeSat, a small satellite designed to study how radio waves from lightning and ground sources travel through Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field.
By figuring out how these waves interact with our planet, scientists hope to better predict space weather, helping keep satellites and astronauts safe from unexpected disruptions.
CANVAS launched April 7 from Vandenberg
CANVAS lifted off on April 7, 2026, from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
and will spend one year collecting data with special sensors that track magnetic and electric fields.
The goal is to map out how these radio waves behave around Earth, especially in the Van Allen radiation belts.
This info could make future space missions safer and help protect the tech we rely on every day.