NASA is targeting Sept. 23 for a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center carrying three heliophysics and space-weather payloads: the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and NOAA’s SWFO-L1 (Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1). Ahead of liftoff, the agency has scheduled a media teleconference for 12 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 4. Audio will stream on NASA’s website. Full details are available in NASA’s advisory at this link.
What’s launching
The rideshare flight will deploy:
- IMAP: A NASA mission to map the boundary of the heliosphere and characterize particles streaming in from interstellar space.
- Carruthers Geocorona Observatory (also referred to as GLIDE): An ultraviolet imaging mission to study Earth’s exosphere and its response to solar activity.
- NOAA SWFO-L1: A space-weather monitoring spacecraft designed to detect solar wind disturbances and track coronal mass ejections en route to Earth.
Mission objectives
IMAP will investigate how the Sun’s wind shapes the heliosphere and interacts with the local interstellar medium. By sampling and imaging energetic neutral atoms and charged particles, the mission will create a global view of the Sun’s influence and provide near real-time measurements of solar wind conditions relevant to space-weather operations.
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will image the ultraviolet glow of hydrogen in Earth’s outer atmosphere, or geocorona, enabling researchers to quantify how solar events drive changes at the edge of the atmosphere and affect the near-Earth environment.
NOAA’s SWFO-L1 will operate from the Sun–Earth L1 region to supply continuous observations that feed operational space-weather forecasts, offering earlier detection of potentially disruptive solar storms.
Launch and program roles
NASA’s Launch Services Program manages the launch service. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory built the IMAP spacecraft and will operate the mission, led by principal investigator David J. McComas with an international team of 27 partner institutions. IMAP is the fifth mission in NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Probes Program.
The Carruthers mission is led by principal investigator Lara Waldrop at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. The Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, leads implementation and built the two ultraviolet imagers, while BAE Systems built the spacecraft.
Briefing details
NASA plans a media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT on Sept. 4 featuring leadership from the Science Mission Directorate and mission teams. NASA indicates that media should RSVP by 11 a.m. EDT on Sept. 4. Audio will be carried live via NASA’s streaming channels.
Why it matters
Together, these missions extend the heliophysics fleet with complementary capabilities: global mapping of the Sun’s boundary region, high-cadence measurements to protect infrastructure from solar storms, and targeted imaging of Earth’s exosphere. The data are expected to improve models of particle acceleration, refine forecasts of space weather that can affect satellites and power systems, and inform risk mitigation for human and robotic exploration, including operations conducted under Artemis.
Key milestones
- Sept. 4, 12 p.m. EDT: NASA media teleconference; audio on NASA Live.
- No earlier than Sept. 23: Falcon 9 launch of IMAP, Carruthers, and NOAA SWFO-L1 from LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center.
For more information, see NASA’s advisory: NASA invites media to learn about new missions to map the Sun’s influence.
