Nasa has chosen three concept study proposals for missions that could assist it in understanding the space weather system.

The proposals include the Extreme Ultraviolet High-Throughput Spectroscopic Telescope (EUVST) Epsilon Mission, Aeronomy at Earth: Tools for Heliophysics Exploration and Research (AETHER) and Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE).

The selection criteria for the research were based on science value and development feasibility.

Each proposal will now move to a nine-month mission concept study, for which the proposals will be awarded a $400,000 grant.

Following this, the winning proposal will progress ahead for launch with funding support from Nasa’s Heliophysics Explorers’ programme.

Nasa Headquarters Science Mission Directorate heliophysics deputy director Peg Luce said:  “Nasa’s research to understand the space we travel through relies on exploring key details about a vast system from the Sun, to Earth, to the edges of the solar system.

“Each of these proposals could add a significant tool from a unique vantage point to help us understand that system.”

The EUVST Epsilon Mission aims to provide a solution to how solar material such as hot plasma interacts with magnetic fields that cause solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

AETHER would focus on examining the ionosphere-thermosphere system.

The EZIE programme will study the auroral electrojet, which is an electric current above Earth, near the poles.

Nasa will bear all the expenses, which are expected to reach $55m for the mission.

Last month, Nasa selected two proposals to study small satellite technologies to develop improved models to forecast space weather events.