Overview

• University of Michigan researchers published high‑resolution simulations in The Astrophysical Journal showing tornado‑like flux ropes 3,000 to 6 million miles wide can trigger geomagnetic storms.
• The work finds that single‑point spacecraft near the Sun–Earth L1 location can miss these structures when they form off‑axis or evolve en route to Earth.
• The proposed Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT) would field four probes about 200,000 miles apart plus a hub forming a triangular‑pyramid to track how solar wind structures change on their way to Earth.
• A solar sail based on NASA’s Solar Cruiser concept could let the hub hold position beyond L1 without conventional fuel, enabling a vantage point that could speed warnings by roughly 40%.
• Researchers cite real‑world disruptions from the May 2024 storm and frame the detection gap as a national‑security concern, while noting SWIFT remains a mission concept rather than an approved program.