For a long time, Iowa has always been the place where scientists like to look up and think about the night sky. 

But usually, the questions raised by the research space usually raise as many questions as the answers—if not more.

Don Gurnett, Professor Emeritus of Space Plasma Physics at the University of Iowa, said: “It seems that science, or at least this kind of science, will ask new questions that you don’t know the answer to every time you do an experiment.” . 

Since the beginning of the space age, a large number of researchers at the University of Iowa raised the right scientific questions, and therefore launched the first successful American spacecraft, discovered the Earth’s radiation belt, took a close look at the interstellar space, and explained the North Pole Light phenomenon, and many other milestones.

These findings can be linked to current research on UI, which has a direct impact on life on Earth. UI researchers are working hard to study how the Earth’s magnetic shield interacts with space weather and protects us from space weather, such as a huge explosion on the sun. 

In fiscal year 2021, the university’s external research funding reached a record $702.4 million, partly due to the long history between UIowa researchers and NASA.

NASA has allocated $133.5 million for the UI Department of Physics and Astronomy project in the past ten years. This funding is not the product of a specific relationship with NASA, but a competitive process in which the ideas proposed by the scientists undergo peer review before being approved.

"We have no guarantees (with NASA) or similar relationships. This has always been based on the presence of good people here and put forward good ideas. We will push science forward, and NASA recognizes this," UI Chairman Philip Kaaret, Department of Physics and Astronomy Say.

More: With the help of scientists from the University of Iowa, new research explains the ancient mystery behind the Northern Lights

Imagine it was 1859. Suddenly, the telegraph system in the United States and Europe failed, and the operator would receive electric shocks. People all over the world, from the Rocky Mountains to Mexico to Japan, will see the strange light called "Aurora" in the sky. 

The "Carrington Event" was caused by the explosion of the sun and its collision with the magnetic shielding layer (also known as the "magnetosphere") surrounding the earth. 

Fortunately, the magnetosphere usually acts as a shield to protect life on Earth. But not always. It is expected that powerful "geomagnetic storms" (such as the cause of the Carrington event) or other "space weather" phenomena may once again land on the earth-with potentially catastrophic effects.

Explosions from the sun, called solar flares, can block radio waves; "solar energetic particles" can affect satellite electronic equipment and cause electrical failures. Geomagnetic storms have the ability to damage power grids and GPS systems.

"If (Carrington) happened today, it could have a very serious impact because we are very dependent on a lot of electrons and electricity," said Craig Kletzing, professor of space and plasma physics at UIowa. 

He is the lead researcher of a research project whose name sounds like nonsense to people outside of the academic field: "Tandem reconnection and pointed electric reconnaissance satellite" research.

Others call it "TRACERS".

The research received the largest external research funding in UIowa's history in 2019, at US$115 million.

The goal is to understand how phenomena such as solar wind, solar flares, and geomagnetic storms-commonly referred to as "space weather"-interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere.

In the long run, this research can help protect life on Earth from space weather phenomena, although these phenomena occasionally pass through the Earth’s magnetic shield and cause damage.

The plan is to launch two satellites the size of washing machines into a specific part of the magnetosphere in about 2024, called the "spike" area. They will launch upwards in an area of ​​only 300 miles, which stretches thousands of miles above the earth and has flown over it more than 3,000 times in a year.

During the journey, tools connected to the satellite will measure relatively simple variables, such as the speed and direction of protons and the position of the magnetic field. These data will help researchers map out how the area works. 

The project is approaching a key milestone, the preliminary review of the project design with NASA this fall. 

Kletzing said that science is still catching up with the reality that space storms may affect life on Earth. Although there is still a long way to go, the long-term goal is to better predict weather conditions in space with a certain degree of accuracy. 

"The problem is that when they happen, the event happens very quickly. You can never accurately predict how much impact it will have on the earth," Klesing said. "So here comes this thing; will it really cause a big storm, or will it not? This is part of the science that we don't know much about yet, and one of the things we are trying to understand."

The US government has an online space weather tracker that is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

According to spokesperson Jeff Greenwood, MidAmerican Energy, located in Iowa, is also aware of and monitoring the potential impact of solar flares and geomagnetic storms. This is because space weather and geomagnetic interference may affect the power transmission system.

Kletzing estimates that it will take 20 to 30 years for the scientific community to make relatively accurate predictions of top-down threats.

"If you have a great model, you can say,'Yes, of course, we will see this thing in an hour,' and then they might trigger an alarm in their hair. But the problem is that by then it will be It happens, and it's usually almost too late," he said.

In the same year, James Van Allen, a professor at the University of Iowa, launched Explorer 1, the first successful spacecraft in the United States, and Congress passed legislation creating NASA.

That was the peak of the space race between the United States and Russia in 1958. 

The researchers placed a Geiger tube on Explorer 1 before launch, or a device that detects high-energy charged particles that move very, very fast. 

"If you put a Geiger tube on your table, it will sit there and make a'click. Click. Click.' sound. These are very high speeds, almost the speed of light entering from outer space," Explains Don Gunnett, a student of Van Allen and a pioneer in space research. 

Van Allen has set out to study cosmic rays with a Geiger tube. But he eventually discovered radiation belts around the earth, or regions of high-energy charged particles trapped in the earth's magnetic field. 

Gunnett said that the discovery in 1958, now known as the "Van Allen Radiation Belt," is one of the most influential discoveries in the space age. Part of the reason is their impact on space travel: the radiation belt is so strong that it can be cut right through the sides of the spacecraft.

"So you might be wondering,'How did we finally fly to the moon?'" he said. The answer is that some low-altitude areas are safe, away from the radiation zone. 

Soon after, in 1961, researchers at the University of Iowa successfully launched the first spacecraft built by the university, thus reaching a milestone.

Since then, these discoveries have piled up like a mountain. Kletzing stated that TRACERS' work "stands on the shoulders of early space experimenters such as Van Allen and Gunnett." Both professors are from small towns in Iowa—Mount Pleasant and Fairfax, respectively—and have taught at UIowa for decades.

Gunnett took up a faculty position in 1965, thanks to Van Allen’s decision to hire him only a few years ago. He was widely acclaimed for helping to create the field of space plasma physics and gave the first course on the subject at UIowa. 

Plasma is the fourth state of matter after liquid, solid, and gas, accounting for 99% of the observable matter in the universe. The study of space plasma physics is critical to understanding everything from the northern lights (UI researchers helped explain earlier this year) to space weather and the magnetosphere. 

The 2020 academic paper "The Origin of Space Radio and Plasma Wave Research at the University of Iowa" by Gurnett lists 12 spacecraft projects funded by NASA between 1965 and 1980. A highlight of Iowa: "Eagle Eye 1" launched on June 3, 1974.

In 1977, Gurnett’s masterpiece was an indispensable part of the launch of Voyager 1. This spacecraft allowed it to enter space farther than any other spacecraft in human history. The Voyager mission passes through Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, and finally enters interstellar space. 

Gunnett will only retire in 2019. Both he and Van Allen, who died in 2006, mentored dozens of students who later enjoyed a reputation in the field of space research.

"It's like continuing the Van Allen tradition. I think this is what I'm proud of," Gunnett said.

According to the head of the department, Kaaret, at least seven faculty members in the UIowa Department of Physics and Astronomy are currently building instruments that will be launched into space. The department has a machine stop station qualified by NASA.

If they expand their space research work to other disciplines within the university, the department is looking at possible scientific discoveries. 

"Van Allen started to work on magnetospheric science, and then we expanded it to astronomy or astrophysics. Now we are trying to expand it further," he said. 

Cleo Krejci reports on the education of journalistic citizens in Iowa City. You can contact her at ckrejci@press-citizen.com or @_CleoKrejci on Twitter.