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(Credit: Los Alamos\/AI-generated)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(Credit: Los Alamos\/AI-generated)<\/p>\n
Welcome to this edition of The Intelligence Brief\u2026 This week, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have uncovered the phenomenon\u00a0behind sudden spacecraft failures in orbit, long a mystery to engineers and mission planners. In our analysis, we\u2019ll be looking at 1) how electrical discharges onboard satellites\u2014known as spacecraft environment discharges (SEDs)\u2014are now shown to correlate with electron activity in orbit, 2) the historic incidents where SEDs have crippled communications satellites in the wake of solar storms, 3) how new data from the Department of Defense\u2019s STP-Sat6 mission revealed hundreds of discharge events tied to electron peaks, and 4) why the discovery could lead to predictive monitoring systems that protect future spacecraft from catastrophic failures.<\/p>\n
Quote of the Week<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cWe haven\u2019t understood the relationship between the electrons in the space environment and SEDs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u2013 Amitabh Nag, Los Alamos Scientist<\/p>\n
RECENT NEWS from The Debrief<\/p>\n
Los Alamos Scientists Tackle Sudden Spacecraft Failures in Orbit <\/p>\n
Scientists at Los Alamos National Labs have made a discovery that finally reveals the phenomenon behind the sudden, often perplexing failure of spacecraft in Earth\u2019s orbit.<\/p>\n
Over the decades, several occurrences of unexplained failure of electronics onboard satellites orbiting above Earth have led to speculations about what electrical forces could account for the unusual incidents.<\/p>\n
Now, researchers behind a new study have revealed that the number of electrical discharges occurring on these spacecraft correlates perfectly with the number of electrons in their surrounding environment, a discovery that could greatly aid scientists in understanding how we can better shield equipment onboard spacecraft from these abrupt electrical disturbances.<\/p>\n
Spacecraft Environment Discharges<\/p>\n
The phenomena behind these incidents, known as spacecraft environment discharges (SEDs), involve short, sudden electrical breakdowns that, when they erupt, can quickly cause significant damage to the electronics and communications systems onboard a range of spacecraft, including satellites.<\/p>\n
In the past, examples of this include a pair of Canadian television satellites which, over the course of just a few hours in 1994, failed in the immediate aftermath of a massive solar storm. Electrostatic discharges following the outburst of solar radiation led to a complete disruption of the electronic systems on these satellites, showcasing how quickly and easily space weather phenomena can impact satellites used for communication and a range of other services.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve long known that these SEDs exist,\u201d said Los Alamos scientist Amitabh Nag, the lead author of a study that details the team\u2019s research. Now, based on the team\u2019s findings, it is believed that these sudden failures, which number in the hundreds to date, are believed to be caused by SEMs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t understood the relationship between the electrons in the space environment and SEDs,\u201d Nag elaborated. \u201cTo do that, we needed two sensors on a single spacecraft: one that looked at the number and activity of electrons, and another that looked at the radio frequency signal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sudden Discharges in Space <\/p>\n
Under most circumstances, SEDs are caused by surface charging resulting from the accumulation of electrons on the surface of satellites and other spacecraft as they move through orbit.<\/p>\n
Similar to how static electricity causes a charge to build up on items resulting from friction on Earth that can sometimes result in an electrical spark, the discharges that occur in space are caused by energy that accumulates until a discharge\u2014and in some cases a powerful one\u2014is released.<\/p>\n
To test this scenario as the underlying cause behind sudden electrical failures on board satellites, the Los Alamos team relied on the sensors on board STP-Sat6, a U.S. Department of Defense satellite, which gave them a unique opportunity to examine electron activity and also issues related to radio frequency emissions.<\/p>\n
Peak Electron Activity <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were able to see the rate of SEDs reported by the radio frequency sensor and compare it to the activity of electron particles within a certain voltage range,\u201d Nag said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we learned was that the peaks in SEDs correlated to peaks in electron activity,\u201d he added, noting that data spanning the last twelve months from STP-Sat6\u2019s sensors revealed several hundred cases where surges in electrons had been detected.<\/p>\n About 75% of the time, these electron peak periods occurred anywhere from around a half hour to 45 minutes before known SED events, indicating that such electron accumulations are directly linked to electrostatic discharges that disrupt equipment aboard satellites.<\/p>\n Based on the team\u2019s findings, Nag says future space missions may be able to incorporate monitoring systems that will help to detect\u2014and potentially even predict\u2014when sudden spacecraft electronics systems are likely to be in danger of failure as a result of SED events.<\/p>\n \t\t
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That concludes this week\u2019s installment of\u00a0The Intelligence Brief.\u00a0You can read\u00a0past editions of our newsletter at our website<\/a>, or if you found this installment online,\u00a0don\u2019t forget to subscribe\u00a0and get future email editions from us here<\/a>. Also, if you have a\u00a0tip<\/a> or other information you\u2019d like to send along directly to me, you can email me at micah [@] thedebrief [dot] org, or reach me on X: @MicahHanks<\/a>.<\/p>\n This Weird New Space Telescope Concept Could Revolutionize the Search for Alien Life<\/a><\/p>\n Rethinking the shape of space telescopes may be the answer to the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing missions to detect alien life.<\/p>\n Could Alien Technosignatures Be Detected from Interstellar Objects Like 3I\/ATLAS? These Astronomers Say It\u2019s Possible.<\/a><\/p>\n A new study says interstellar objects entering our solar system could offer scientists a chance to search for signs of alien technology.<\/p>\n Scientists Have Traced Mysterious Earthquakes Rocking Southern Europe to an \u201cAnomaly\u201d Deep Beneath the Seafloor<\/a><\/p>\n New evidence is helping scientists track the origins of mysterious earthquakes that have been rattling Southwest Iberia in recent months.<\/p>\n Rare Case of \u2018Autobiographical Hypermnesia\u2019 Reveals How the Brain Travels Through Time<\/a><\/p>\n Scientists explore \u2018autobiographical hypermnesia,\u2019 a rare ability that allows people to recall of life events in exceptional detail.<\/p>\n You\u2019re Welcome, Couch Potatoes. Binge-Watching TV is Actually Good for You<\/a><\/p>\n Binge-watching TV which has often been considered a negative behavior may have positive mental health benefits including helping with stress.<\/p>\n Deep Underground, a Gigantic Sphere is Accelerating the Quest for Mysterious \u2018Ghost Particles\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n With JUNO\u2019s official launch, a new era of neutrino experiments is about to take shape within the facility\u2019s gigantic spherical observatory.<\/p>\n ESA\u2019s Solar Orbiter Unlocks the Mystery of the Sun\u2019s Fastest Particles<\/a><\/p>\n The Solar Orbiter mission has made another new discovery, tracing two types of solar energetic electrons to their origins in separate events.<\/p>\n Scientists Fear \u201cMirror Life\u201d Synthetically Produced in the Lab Could Create a Dangerous New Form of Biology<\/a><\/p>\n Scientists are warning that creating \u201cmirror life,\u201d a radical new concept in synthetic biology, could potentially have dangerous repercussions.<\/p>\n Building Safe AI Is Harder and More Urgent Than Our Leaders Realize\u2014a Philosopher Explains Why<\/a><\/p>\n Michael Glawson, Ph.D., argues that now is the time to eliminate the \u201cblind spots\u201d in the quickening development of artificial intelligence, before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n 45 Years of Psychedelic Research Reveals the Deeper Threads of Human Connection, Researcher Says<\/a><\/p>\n Psychedelic research sheds light on experiences such as empathy and unity that cross cultural boundaries and speak to shared human qualities.<\/p>\n James Webb Space Telescope Discovery Challenges What We Think We Know About Planet Formation<\/a><\/p>\n New James Webb Space Telescope observations present a fresh challenge to long-held ideas about the chemistry of planet-forming disks.<\/p>\n Ancient Breathwork Meets Modern Neuroscience, Offering Psychedelic Therapy Without Substances, Study Finds<\/a><\/p>\n New peer-reviewed research reveals how breathwork may contribute to inducing altered states of consciousness with potential therapeutic benefits.<\/p>\n Europe to Face Increased Onslaught of Costly and Dangerous \u201cSupercell Thunderstorms\u201d in the Coming Years<\/a><\/p>\n Supercell thunderstorms, one of the most significant extreme weather events affecting Europe today, may soon be occurring more frequently.<\/p>\n James Webb Space Telescope Discovers \u201cCool Gemstones\u201d and \u201cFiery Grime\u201d in New Butterfly Nebula Images<\/a><\/p>\n Recent James Webb Telescope findings reveal insights into the Butterfly Nebula that may explain how rocky planets form from cosmic dust.<\/p>\n A \u2018Giant\u2019 Manifestation of a Long-Puzzling Magnetic Mystery Has Been Observed For the First Time<\/a><\/p>\n A very large occurrence of the \u201canomalous Hall effect,\u201d a long-studied magnetic mystery, has been recorded by scientists in Japan.<\/p>\n Quakes on Mars Reveal Unexpected Geological Anomalies Preserving Ancient Impacts<\/a><\/p>\n New research challenges the traditional understanding of Mars\u2019s interior, suggesting a chunky texture, unlike the usual smooth depictions.<\/p>\n Scientists May Have Cracked the Code for Creating \u2018Flying\u2019 Space-Time Hopfion Crystals<\/a><\/p>\n Scientists develop a means of creating \u2018hopfion\u2019 crystals, complex, knot-like patterns of light that repeat across both space and time.<\/p>\n
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