NASA is preparing to launch a mission designed to provide a unique, inside-out view of the ring current.
It lures electrically charged particles in space, near our planet, and snares them in an invisible, doughnut-shaped pen around Earth known as the ring current.
This captive swarm of charged particles plays an important role in how Earth reacts to changing conditions in space, called space weather, which can affect the technology we rely on, such as satellites and power grids.
