NASA selects NSF NCAR heliophysics mission for continued development
CMEx mission would obtain the first continuous observations of the solar magnetic field in the chromosphere
Dec 11, 2025 - by Laura Snider
NASA has selected the Chromospheric Magnetism Explorer (CMEx) for an extended period of concept development.
CMEx, led by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR), would obtain the first continuous observations of the solar magnetic field in the chromosphere, a poorly understood region of the Sun’s atmosphere where the energy that powers solar storms builds up before being released.
CMEx was among four small explorer missions selected by NASA in 2023 to conduct concept studies. Today, NASA announced that CMEX and another mission have been chosen to advance. The other mission, Cross-scale Investigation of Earth’s Magnetotail and Aurora (CINEMA), will move forward to flight design.
“Space is becoming increasingly more important and plays a role in just about everything we do,” said Asal Naseri, acting associate flight director for heliophysics at NASA Headquarters, in a NASA news release. “These mission concepts, if advanced to flight, will improve our ability to predict solar events that could harm satellites that we rely on every day and mitigate danger to astronauts near Earth, at the Moon, or Mars.”
By enabling a deeper understanding of the dynamics in the chromosphere, CMEx would improve our ability to forecast and prepare for hazardous space weather events, which can have profound impacts on Earth from disrupting radio communications and the electric grid to endangering astronauts and satellites.
“CMEx will help fill a gap in our understanding of the Sun’s magnetic fields by providing continuous observations that are not currently available from any space- or ground-based observatory,” said NSF NCAR scientist Holly Gilbert, the mission’s principal investigator. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue developing this mission, which would provide an incredibly valuable dataset for solar researchers and contribute to forecast improvements that will improve our resilience in an increasingly technologically dependent world.”
Read the full news release on NASA’s website.
Read more about the CMEx mission.