DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — The University of New Hampshire is going to build a special sensor to improve space weather monitoring and forecasting.
The instrument, called a magnetometer, is part of a group of instruments that will measure how the Earth’s magnetic field is impacted by the solar wind, said Roy Torbet, UNH professor of physics. It also will help support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration monitor and forecast space weather events that can influence the performance of technology, such as electrical power grids, satellite-based communication and GPS navigation systems, he said.
UNH says it was awarded $6 million in a NOAA-NASA contract to build the instrument. Eight researchers will partner with the Southwest Research Institute to develop it for a 2024 mission.
