Latest news with #DavidMiles
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Science
- San Francisco Chronicle
Satellites launching from California could help scientists understand disruptive space weather
Two twin satellites — part of NASA's TRACERS mission — set to launch tomorrow at Vandenberg Space Force Base will help scientists better understand space weather. Researchers expect the mission to provide new insights into how charged particles from the sun plow into Earth's magnetic shield. Such interactions underlie the dazzling northern lights, like the brilliant light shows that swept large swaths of California in 2024. 'What we will learn from TRACERS is critical for the understanding and eventually the predicting of how energy from our sun impacts the Earth,' said Joe Westlake, director of NASA's heliophysics division, during a briefing July 17. 'It's going to help us keep our way of life safe here on Earth.' The explosion of energy can also wreak havoc on satellites and power grids. Data collected by the TRACERS mission could aid future aurora forecasts and also inform preparations ahead of damaging geomagnetic storms. Two identical satellites will capture data on how a steady stream of charged particles from the sun, also known as solar wind, enters the near-Earth environment. This process is known as magnetic reconnection. High solar wind speeds can bring geomagnetic storms while slow wind speeds bring calm space weather. Fast solar winds can also cause auroral displays. The most expansive displays, like those above California in 2024, are typically associated with coronal mass ejections, large expulsions of charged particles and magnetic fields from the sun. Solar winds carry the sun's embedded magnetic field, reaching speeds over one million miles per hour. Earth's magnetosphere, a region dominated by the planet's magnetic field, acts as a protective bubble deflecting the solar wind and shielding Earth from solar radiation. The twin satellites, each slightly larger than a washing machine,will fly through a narrow region in Earth's magnetic field known as a polar cusp, where solar wind funnels into Earth's atmosphere. Over a year, the spacecraft will make 3,000 passes through the northern polar cusp. The reason for two satellites, rather than just one, is to probe how magnetic reconnection occurs in space and time. The two TRACERS spacecraft will follow each other in orbit, creating closely spaced snapshots that will help scientists tease apart how quickly changes in plasma, or charged particles from the sun, occur. The two satellites carry scientific equipment provided by UC Berkeley, UCLA and other institutions. UC Berkeley's instruments sense electricity within the magnetized plasma of near-Earth space, said David Miles, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Iowa and principal investigator of the TRACERS mission, by email. UCLA's instruments work like extremely sensitive compasses and measure the strength and direction of the local magnetic field. 'These instruments from Berkeley and UCLA are crucial for decoding the complex interactions in our planet's space environment and the magnetic reconnection process that couples in energy from the solar wind,' Miles said. Decoding such interactions is important for life closer to the surface. The historic storm in May 2024 that led to aurora viewings in California impacted air travel: Transoceanic flights were rerouted due to high-frequency radio loss, Westlake said. The event also caused roughly $500 million in economic losses in the agriculture sector, due to precision GPS issues, Westlake added. 'TRACERS joins the fleet of current heliophysics missions that are actively increasing our understanding of the sun and space weather and how to mitigate these impacts,' Westlake said.
2 days ago
- Science
NASA to launch 2 new satellites that will help forecast solar storms
The northern lights have been captivating stargazers for generations. But the same charged particles from the Sun's atmosphere responsible for this brilliant celestial display can also damage and destroy Earth's electrical and communications systems. The Earth's magnetosphere protects the planet from the constant bombardment of solar particles, known as solar wind. This magnetic shield usually keeps these dangerous particles from damaging and destroying our technological infrastructure. But there are weak spots in the shield above the North and South Poles called polar cusps. You can think of them as a front door or funnel for the solar winds to enter our atmosphere. When the Sun's particles enter this funnel, the Earth's and the Sun's magnetic fields can come into contact with one another and rearrange themselves in a process scientists call magnetic reconnection. If that occurs, a powerful explosion of energy is released, sometimes equivalent to an entire day's worth of power consumed in the United States. These events can trigger the dazzling auroras or, in some extreme cases, disable satellites and cause electrical grid failures. The Sun has been particularly active lately as it's reached the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. To better understand how the magnetic reconnection process works and its impact on Earth, NASA is launching a pair of research satellites on Tuesday at 2:13 p.m. ET on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as part of a ride-share mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The TRACERS mission, short for Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites, includes two spacecraft flying in close formation in low Earth orbit at speeds exceeding 16,000 miles per hour. One satellite will trail the other by just 10 to 120 seconds, allowing researchers to capture changes in space weather activity in near real time, according to David Miles, a professor at the University of Iowa and the principal investigator for TRACERS. "So, we have two spacecraft. This is the novel part of TRACERS," explained Miles during a mission press conference. "That gives us two closely spaced measurements that allow us to pick apart: Is something accelerating and slowing down? Is something moving around? Is something turning on and turning off?" he added. Each satellite carries a suite of instruments and tools for measuring how the Sun's hot, ionized gas impacts the magnetosphere. "What we will learn from TRACERS is critical for the understanding and eventually the predicting of how energy from our Sun impacts our Earth and our space and ground-based assets, whether it be GPS or communication signals, power grids, space assets and our astronauts working up in space. It's going to help us keep our way of life safe here on Earth and help to continue to enable safe space exploration," said Joe Westlake, NASA's director of Heliophysics. The mission comes amid growing concern about the dangers of space weather and the possibility that solar storms could knock out communication systems, degrade GPS accuracy and damage power infrastructure on Earth. In the past, solar storms have been responsible for power blackouts, destroyed satellites and disruption to the GPS navigation system. "Understanding our Sun and the space weather it produces is more important to us here on Earth than most realize. Every human on Earth, as well as nearly every system that's involved in space exploration and human needs, is affected by space weather," Westlake said.
The Independent
26-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Workers' rights plans could have ‘negative' impact, watchdog suggests
Labour's plan for workers' rights could have a 'negative' impact on employment, a member of the budget watchdog has said. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has said they have not yet been able to take account of the Employment Rights Bill in their forecasting as there is not enough detail available on the policy. However, in their forecast released on Wednesday, they say that regulations which 'affect the flexibility of businesses and labour markets' are likely to have 'material and probably net negative, economic impacts on employment, prices, and productivity'. Professor David Miles, a member of the OBR's budget responsibility committee, said that measures which reduce an employer's flexibility could have a negative impact. The proposed law is currently making its way through Parliament, and contains proposals such as a right to guaranteed hours and new restrictions on so-called 'fire and rehire' processes. In their economic and fiscal outlook released on Wednesday, the OBR said: 'We are yet to reflect the impact of the Government's Employment Rights Bill in the forecast,' adding that there is not yet sufficient detail or clarity about policy parameters' for them to be able to make a useful assessment. They go on to say: 'Employment regulation policies that affect the flexibility of businesses and labour markets or the quantity and quality of work will likely have material and probably net negative economic impacts on employment, prices and productivity.' They added that they will incorporate a 'central estimate' of the policy in their next forecast, expected in the autumn. Professor Miles told a press briefing that it is 'a bit difficult to know' where the legislation 'may end up' after parliamentary procedures and amendments. With regards to what could happen, he told the briefing: 'I think that will depend very much on what actually ends up being the law.' He added: 'Things which reduce the flexibility of employment contracts from the point of view of the employer in many cases might have a mild impact but when they do have an impact, I mean it's probably negative to some extent. 'So altering, for example, the ability of employers to ask people to be flexible with the hours that they work …. it's hard to see that as anything other than a possibly mild negative on employment.' He said that other measures in the Bill relating to tribunals and probationary periods could also be among those which make an impact. Rachel Reeves told a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that she is 'confident' the Government's package to boost workers' rights will help the economy grow. The Chancellor said: 'The OBR hasn't put anything in their forecast today about the Employment Rights Bill because it is still working its way through Parliament. 'But we're confident that it will result in ordinary working people having more money in their pockets but also having the security to spend that money because they don't have to worry from week to week whether they'll be in work or how many hours they'll get.' Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said the Tories wanted to see the Government 'fundamentally drop a number of the measures' in the Employment Rights Bill, as it was 'holding back growth'. While the senior Conservative acknowledged the OBR had not yet reflected the impact of the Bill in its forecasts, he claimed there had been suggestions the cost of Bill could be 'about £5 billion pounds', adding: 'That's a rather large amount of money floating around.' 'What we have got to do, and what we are absolutely committed to, as a party is to recognise that businesses, small businesses, family businesses, business of all sizes, are absolutely fundamental to the future of this country. 'Unless we can get growth going, and productivity improved, and businesses thriving, then that makes the whole world that much more difficult. 'So we are absolutely committed to having a flexible labour market. We think there are a number of things in that employment legislation that are going to hold businesses back in a way that is going to be not good for all of us.' Mr Stride was, however, realistic about the Conservatives' inability to block the Bill, because of Labour's 'huge majority' in the Commons.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Workers' rights plans could have ‘negative' impact, watchdog suggests
Labour's plan for workers' rights could have a 'negative' impact on employment, a member of the budget watchdog has said. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has said they have not yet been able to take account of the Employment Rights Bill in their forecasting as there is not enough detail available on the policy. However, in their forecast released on Wednesday, they say that regulations which 'affect the flexibility of businesses and labour markets' are likely to have 'material and probably net negative, economic impacts on employment, prices, and productivity'. Professor David Miles, a member of the OBR's budget responsibility committee, said that measures which reduce an employer's flexibility could have a negative impact. Against a more uncertain backdrop, lower growth and higher debt interest costs, today's #SpringStatement restores current budget headroom to its October level. But this margin remains small against the risk of further shocks. Richard Hughes explains 5 things you need to know 📘 — Office for Budget Responsibility (@OBR_UK) March 26, 2025 The proposed law is currently making its way through Parliament, and contains proposals such as a right to guaranteed hours and new restrictions on so-called 'fire and rehire' processes. In their economic and fiscal outlook released on Wednesday, the OBR said: 'We are yet to reflect the impact of the Government's Employment Rights Bill in the forecast,' adding that there is not yet sufficient detail or clarity about policy parameters' for them to be able to make a useful assessment. They go on to say: 'Employment regulation policies that affect the flexibility of businesses and labour markets or the quantity and quality of work will likely have material and probably net negative economic impacts on employment, prices and productivity.' They added that they will incorporate a 'central estimate' of the policy in their next forecast, expected in the autumn. Professor Miles told a press briefing that it is 'a bit difficult to know' where the legislation 'may end up' after parliamentary procedures and amendments. With regards to what could happen, he told the briefing: 'I think that will depend very much on what actually ends up being the law.' He added: 'Things which reduce the flexibility of employment contracts from the point of view of the employer in many cases might have a mild impact but when they do have an impact, I mean it's probably negative to some extent. 'So altering, for example, the ability of employers to ask people to be flexible with the hours that they work …. it's hard to see that as anything other than a possibly mild negative on employment.' He said that other measures in the Bill relating to tribunals and probationary periods could also be among those which make an impact. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said the Tories wanted to see the Government 'fundamentally drop a number of the measures' in the Employment Rights Bill, as it was 'holding back growth'. While the senior Conservative acknowledged the OBR had not yet reflected the impact of the Bill in its forecasts, he claimed there had been suggestions the cost of Bill could be 'about £5 billion pounds', adding: 'That's a rather large amount of money floating around.' 'What we have got to do, and what we are absolutely committed to, as a party is to recognise that businesses, small businesses, family businesses, business of all sizes, are absolutely fundamental to the future of this country. 'Unless we can get growth going, and productivity improved, and businesses thriving, then that makes the whole world that much more difficult. 'So we are absolutely committed to having a flexible labour market. We think there are a number of things in that employment legislation that are going to hold businesses back in a way that is going to be not good for all of us.' Mr Stride was, however, realistic about the Conservatives' inability to block the Bill, because of Labour's 'huge majority' in the Commons.
