NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS)

NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) studies Earth's magnetic environment, called the magnetosphere, where solar wind particles interact with our planet's magnetic field. Using four identical spacecraft flying in formation, MMS captures detailed, high-resolution measurements of magnetic and electric fields, plasma, and particles. This helps scientists understand phenomena like magnetic reconnection—where magnetic field lines break and reassemble—a process that can cause space weather events affecting satellites and power grids. By uncovering how energy moves through the magnetosphere, MMS improves our ability to forecast space weather and protect technology on Earth and in space.