China has successfully launched two groundbreaking satellites into space with an objective to closely monitor and investigate the alterations in Earth’s magnetic field. The launch, which took place at 4 pm local time on Sunday, May 21, from the Jiuquan launch site in the Gobi Desert, marks a critical stride in China’s space exploration program.
This launch, tagged the Macau Science 1 mission, is notably the first Chinese space operation that features a collaboration with scientists from Macau. The mission saw the deployment of a pair of 500kg (1,100lbs) satellites carried by the formidable Long March 2C rocket, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
A Closer Look into the Mystery of Earth’s Weakening Magnetic Fields
The satellites have been designated for two distinct orbits; one will maintain an altitude of 400km (250 miles) above the Earth, while the other will operate at a slightly higher altitude of 500km (310 miles). The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has stated that these twin satellites will generate some of the most precise measurements of Earth’s magnetic field thus far.
There is a critical need to understand the formation and evolution of Earth’s magnetic field, given its significance to life on our planet. Acting as our shield against harmful cosmic rays, the magnetic field ensures Earth’s atmosphere remains conducive for life.
While it’s a well-known fact that Earth’s magnetic strength emanates from the liquid metal in its molten outer core, the gradual decrease in magnetism intensity over time has puzzled scientists. NASA’s records indicate a nine percent decrease over the last 200 years, a change most notably witnessed between South America and Southwest Africa in the South Atlantic.
While the dip in magnetic strength doesn’t pose an immediate threat, it does spark intriguing scientific hypotheses. For instance, some researchers posit that Mars could have once sustained an atmosphere that vanished owing to core cooling and a subsequent decline in its magnetic field.
The Macau Science 1 mission has been tasked with demystifying this phenomenon, known as the South Atlantic Anomaly. To achieve this, it will delve 3,000 km into Earth’s interior, armed with a slew of state-of-the-art instruments ranging from high-precision magnetometers to space environment monitors.
Looking Ahead: The Five-Year Journey of Macau Science 1
Taking a leaf from Europe’s Swarm mission’s book and the Sino-Italian Zhangheng 1 satellite mission, both of which gathered data on Earth’s geomagnetic field, the Macau Science 1 mission is set to embark on a similar journey.
The scientists behind Macau Science 1 will spend the next six to 12 months conducting scientific instrument tests aboard the satellites. If all proceeds according to plan, the satellites will continue gathering data about Earth’s magnetic field for a period of at least five years, further contributing to our understanding of this vital planetary phenomenon.
