Solar Flare Threatens Historic NASA Moon Mission

A powerful solar flare could disrupt NASA's Artemis II launch today. This mission is the first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years. The flare occurred on March 30. It sent a burst of solar material, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), toward Earth. This CME is now hitting Earth's atmosphere. It may cause a moderate to strong geomagnetic storm. Such storms can risk communication between ground control and the rocket. They can also interfere with precise GPS tracking. The private weather service AccuWeather reported the potential issue. NASA has not officially commented on the solar weather forecast. The Artemis II crew is preparing for a 10-day, 685,000-mile journey around the moon. Millions are expected to watch the launch.