Fri Sep 12 17:50:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

SpaceX is set to launch three spacecraft – NASA’s IMAP and Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and NOAA’s SWFO-L1 – aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on September 23rd. These spacecraft will journey to the Earth-sun Lagrange Point-1 (L1) to study the Sun’s influence on the solar system. IMAP will map the heliosphere’s outer boundary and provide early warnings of solar storms, crucial for upcoming Artemis missions. SWFO-L1 will function as a real-time solar weather monitor for NOAA, and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will investigate Earth’s exosphere, its role in geomagnetic storms, and hydrogen escape from Earth. The combined data will enhance our understanding of the Earth-sun relationship, space weather, and planetary evolution.

**News Article:**

**SpaceX Launching Trio of Spacecraft to Study Sun’s Influence, Provide Early Solar Storm Warnings**

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – SpaceX is gearing up to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on September 23rd, carrying three spacecraft designed to provide unprecedented insights into the Sun’s influence on our solar system and offer early warnings of dangerous solar storms. The mission, scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, includes NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) and Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, alongside NOAA’s Space Weather Follow-on (SWFO-L1) spacecraft.

The spacecraft will travel to the Earth-sun Lagrange Point-1 (L1), a location 930,000 miles from Earth offering constant sunlight and orbital stability. IMAP, the mission’s flagship, will map the outer boundary of the heliosphere – the vast magnetic bubble surrounding our solar system. Its data will help scientists better understand the fundamental physics of the heliosphere and how it shields Earth and spacefarers from cosmic rays, according to IMAP principal investigator David McComas.

Importantly, IMAP will provide crucial advanced warning of incoming radiation storms. “IMAP will provide warnings beginning with Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 of incoming harmful radiation storms faster than any other spacecraft has done before,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. This capability is particularly vital for protecting astronauts on upcoming Artemis lunar missions.

NOAA’s SWFO-L1 will serve as a dedicated solar alert system, feeding real-time space weather data into NOAA’s forecasting models to protect satellites, communication systems, and power grids from geomagnetic disturbances.

Rounding out the trio, NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, formerly known as GLIDE, will study Earth’s exosphere, a little-understood outer atmospheric layer. “We actually don’t know exactly how big it is,” said University of Illinois scientist Lara Waldrop, the mission’s principal investigator. Understanding the exosphere’s size, shape, and variability is crucial for predicting Earth’s response to geomagnetic storms and understanding planetary evolution.

The combined data from these missions promises to significantly advance our understanding of the Earth-sun relationship, improve space weather forecasting, and inform the search for habitable exoplanets. The launch is scheduled for 7:32 a.m. EDT.

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