Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
PUNCH will track solar storms in 3D, offering real-time warnings that could protect satellites, astronauts, and power grids from devastating space weather.
Four suitcase-sized satellites will create a massive virtual telescope, capturing the Sun’s corona and solar wind like never before.
NASA’s PUNCH mission uses four synchronized spacecraft, working together like a single giant instrument to reveal solar storms in stunning detail.
Cutting-edge imaging tech will strip away cosmic noise, making the nearly invisible solar wind finally visible for scientists to study.
PUNCH aims to revolutionize space weather forecasting, just like geosynchronous satellites transformed Earth’s storm predictions.
Since a giant Earth-sized telescope wasn’t feasible, NASA spread out four small satellites to simulate one—spanning 8,000 miles in orbit.
Specialized coronagraphs and deep baffles cut sunlight by a factor of 10 million billion, allowing PUNCH to capture the faintest cosmic phenomena.
PUNCH will map coronal mass ejections in 3D, giving scientists a precise way to measure their speed and trajectory toward Earth.
Launching no earlier than Feb. 28, PUNCH could redefine how we see the Sun—and how we prepare for its powerful, unpredictable outbursts.