JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo

Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment

SunRISE

The Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment, or SunRISE, is an array of six toaster-size CubeSats that will work together to study solar activity.

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

2023

Type

CubeSat/SmallSat

Target

Sun

Status

Future

About the mission

The Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment, or SunRISE, is an array of six toaster-size CubeSats that will work together to study solar activity. The mission will observe low radio frequency emissions so scientists can understand better how the Sun is able to generate intense space weather storms – known as solar particle storms – that can be hazardous to spacecraft and astronauts. This research will help scientists forecast space weather, improve our understanding of how our Sun works, and may apply to studies of other stars – particularly those with planets.

The SunRISE spacecraft will orbit within 6 miles (10 kilometers) of one another well above Earth's atmosphere to act like a giant single-aperture radio telescope. The SunRISE spacecraft have to be at a high altitude because an upper layer of Earth's atmosphere, known as the ionosphere, reflects low radio frequencies, preventing the radio emission associated with solar particle storms to be studied from the ground. The constellation of small spacecraft uses a method known as interferometry, in which many smaller radio telescopes can be combined to mimic a single, much larger observatory with a very high resolving power.

The mission will create detailed 3D maps of where energetic radio emissions occur in the Sun's magnetic atmosphere, which signify the locations of extremely powerful bursts of radiation. By observing these events, SunRISE will help us to better understand what triggers them, how the particles are accelerated, and the ways in which particle storms evolve. SunRISE will also map for the first time the magnetic field lines that originate from the Sun's interior and extend throughout interplanetary space.

As a NASA Mission of Opportunity, SunRISE will be launched no earlier than July 1, 2023, as a hosted rideshare on a commercial satellite provided by Maxar of Westminster, Colorado. The SunRISE spacecraft will beam their data down to Earth, using an efficient mode of NASA's Deep Space Network that allows multiple spacecraft to transmit their data to the ground simultaneously.

SunRISE is led by Justin Kasper at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California.

More about Solar System and Technology

News .

My Favorite Martian Image: ‘Enchanted’ Rocks at Jezero Crater

Image .

Radar Observations of Near-Earth Asteroid 7335 1989 JA

News .

Help NASA Scientists Find Clouds on Mars

News .

Swarm of Tiny Swimming Robots Could Look for Life on Distant Worlds

News .

Swarm of Tiny Swimming Robots Could Look for Life on Distant Worlds

Event June 30, 2022 .

JPL & the Space Age: The Pathfinders

News .

NASA’s Curiosity Takes Inventory of Key Life Ingredient on Mars

News .

NASA to Discuss Psyche Asteroid Mission

News .

NASA Mars Orbiter Releasing One of Its Last Rainbow-Colored Maps

News .

NASA’s Curiosity Captures Stunning Views of a Changing Mars Landscape

Explore Other Missions

AVIRIS-NG

Deep Space Atomic Clock

Dawn

Europa Clipper

Europa Lander

Disturbance Reduction System

CubeRRT

Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment

Cassini-Huygens

ASTERIA

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono