Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32595: Catching Solar Ghosts: The Quest to Detect Solar Neutrons in Space

What happens when the Sun sends out bursts of energetic particles? Scientists call this a solar storm—and one of the most elusive products of these storms are solar neutrons. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln developed a detector to capture and analyze these rare space particles aboard the ISS during Expedition 49/50.

Solar neutrons are tricky. They're neutral particles, meaning they don’t have a charge and can't be steered or detected using electric or magnetic fields like other solar particles. This makes them incredibly difficult to study, especially from Earth, where our atmosphere blocks them out.

By placing a neutron detector on the ISS, scientists can observe these particles directly in low-Earth orbit. The goal is to understand how solar neutrons behave and how they relate to space weather—those bursts of radiation and energy from the Sun that can affect satellites, astronauts, and even power grids on Earth.

This experiment is a great example of academic collaboration with NASA. The students and faculty at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln contributed to cutting-edge research that could help protect future space missions and improve our understanding of solar physics.

Why should students care? Because space weather is a real concern for our tech-dependent world. Better knowledge of solar neutrons helps improve forecasting models, which can prevent satellite damage and mission delays. It also shows how universities can play a major role in space science.

Join the Agnirva Space Internship Program

Get certified with over 100 hours of immersive, self-paced learning in cosmology, space technology, and climate science through the Agnirva Space Internship Program. Join, complete virtual projects, and earn a digital certificate to showcase your space fluency in interviews, resumes, and beyond.