NASA achieves high precision in solar storm prediction with PUNCH mission

The ability to accurately predict when a solar storm will reach Earth has always been a major challenge for scientists. However, tests conducted by NASA's PUNCH mission suggest that this situation may be changing.

According to NASA, the system demonstrated the ability to anticipate the arrival of a coronal mass ejection with a margin of only thirty minutes, an achievement that has the potential to significantly increase the accuracy of space weather alerts.

Solar storms occur when the Sun releases large volumes of energetic particles and plasma into space. The intensity of these coronal mass ejections can impact satellites, power grids, and manned space missions.

To monitor this trajectory, NASA launched the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission in 2025. This mission uses four spacecraft in low Earth orbit, which capture images of space every four minutes, enabling the tracking of these clouds of material throughout almost their entire journey to the planet.

The result obtained with PUNCH is considered remarkable, potentially comparable in the field of space meteorology to the transition from the steam engine to the modern internal combustion engine.

Advances in Solar Storm Prediction

Among the most important advances of the mission, researchers used data from a coronal mass ejection recorded on May 31, 2025, to evaluate the possibility of improving predictions. A computational model followed the speed and configuration of the particle cloud as it crossed the Solar System.

Twelve hours after the solar explosion occurred, the projection remained stable. The calculation indicated that the storm would arrive eight hours later, hitting the time with a margin of only thirty minutes, which represents about ten times greater accuracy compared to current methods.

The observations collected by the mission also help scientists gain a deeper understanding of how these clouds of material develop during their space journey. The images reveal that they are more irregular than previously thought and continue to change shape along the way.

Another area of advancement involves the study of plasma. Researchers expect these findings to contribute to a more complete understanding of the behavior of this material, not only in solar storms but also in other areas of the galaxy.

Although the results are still undergoing scientific review, the first test already demonstrates that monitoring solar storms can evolve from a broad estimate to a considerably more accurate forecast in the coming years.

timesofindia.indiatimes.comAugust 5, 22:38

Minister of Space Industry announced readiness of satellite NVS-03 for launch within the NaVIC system

The government is working to restore the functionality of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, known as NaVIC, planning the launch of four satellites in the near future.

Space industry minister Jitendra Singh stated in a written response to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that satellite NVS-03 is ready for launch after implementing all corrective measures arising from the NVS-02 anomaly. This will be followed by the launches of NVS-04 and NVS-05, and then another satellite is planned to complete the basic level constellation of NaVIC, which consists of seven satellites.

However, he did not specify the timeline for these launches. Jitendra Singh noted that after the failure of the replacement satellite NVS-02 in 2025, the necessary corrective measures were successfully integrated and tested on satellite CMS-03. These measures will also be applied to subsequent satellites, including the series of NaVIC satellites equipped with two-component propulsion systems.

Currently, navigation services can only be provided by IRNSS 1-B, IRNSS 1-L, and NVS-01. Nevertheless, the NaVIC system requires at least four satellites with operational atomic clocks to function effectively, meaning NaVIC no longer provides autonomous positioning services.

In March of this year, the last atomic clock aboard the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1F (IRNSS-1F) stopped working, leading to the paralysis of NaVIC. The first generation of satellites for NaVIC was launched between 2013 and 2018, but the constellation soon began facing problems due to repeated failures of atomic clocks on several IRNSS series satellites.

The NVS series represents the second generation of satellites for NaVIC. Although ISRO successfully placed NVS-01 into its intended orbit in 2023, the launch of NVS-02 in 2025 failed. This delayed the launch of NVS-03, NVS-04, and NVS-05.

olhardigital.com.brAugust 5, 21:47

Google begins phasing out Google Assistant on Android devices in favor of Gemini

Google announced that it will begin removing Google Assistant from phones, tablets, and Wear OS watches starting September 4th. This change is part of the company's transition to Gemini, its new artificial intelligence tool.

The replacement will occur gradually, potentially taking several weeks to reach all users. After the update is implemented, compatible devices will stop using the previous assistant.

As reported by 9to5Google, the company has already started sending email notifications about this change. The deactivation process begins on September 4th and will be finalized progressively.

This change applies to Android smartphones that meet the minimum requirements to run Gemini and in geographical areas where the chatbot is accessible. Connected devices, such as compatible headphones, will also be affected.

The Assistant, which has been present on Android for many years, will be replaced by Gemini on devices that support the new technology. It is important to note that this change will not affect all Google products; devices like Google TV, Google Home, and smart displays will maintain normal operation.

For older devices, those with Android 9 or earlier versions and less than 2 GB of RAM, a legacy version of Assistant will remain available, allowing basic functionality to be used.

Key changes

Among the highlighted transformations, those who do not yet have access to Gemini can download it through the Play Store. Furthermore, Google plans to launch new features for Pixel devices, with announcements scheduled for August 12th.

This transition marks the end of an important phase of the Android system, establishing Gemini as the primary assistant on compatible devices, although some older equipment will retain restricted access to Assistant.

noticiasaominuto.comAugust 5, 20:40

Google reorganizes AI teams and appoints Demis Hassabis as company president

Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind, has been promoted to assume the position of president of the company and chief scientist at Alphabet, a role previously held by Jeff Dean.

The operational management of DeepMind, which was under Hassabis's responsibility, will be transferred to Koray Kavukcuoglu, who was previously the division's technology director. Kavukcuoglu will also take on the position of senior vice president, responsible for overseeing the progress of Gemini models and advanced research in artificial intelligence.

Concurrently, Jeff Dean will leave Google and establish an independent company with Sanjay Ghemawat, aiming to boost advancements in engineering and science.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of both Google and Alphabet, informed employees that these changes aim to intensify Google's work in the field of AI and ensure the company remains at the technological forefront of the sector.

In reaction to the announcement, Alphabet shares experienced a drop of approximately 4% on the Wall Street Stock Exchange.