NASA’s latest rideshare launch has sent two complementary space-weather missions toward the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1)</strong), joining the agency’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP). On September 24, 2025, the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and NOAA’s Space Weather Follow-On L1 (SWFO-L1) departed Earth en route to L1, a prime location for continuous solar and near-Earth space monitoring. The pair is expected to strengthen forecasting, research, and operational readiness for geomagnetic disturbances that affect satellites, power systems, aviation, and crewed missions. Source: NASA.
Missions riding with IMAP
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is a small satellite designed to image Earth’s exosphere and its ultraviolet glow, the geocorona. The exosphere extends roughly 500 to 192,000 kilometers above Earth—about halfway to the Moon—yet only a handful of global images have ever been captured. Carruthers will map this tenuous region to refine understanding of atmospheric escape and Earth’s long-term water history, offering comparative insights into planetary habitability and how atmospheres evolve over time.
NOAA’s SWFO-L1 is the agency’s first satellite designed and dedicated to continuous, operational space-weather monitoring. Positioned upstream of Earth at L1, it will deliver real-time measurements of solar wind, thermal plasma, and the interplanetary magnetic field, and will use a Compact Coronagraph to detect coronal mass ejections. The data are intended to enhance early warnings of potentially disruptive space-weather events and extend lead time for protective actions across critical infrastructure and space operations.
Why L1 matters
L1 sits roughly 1.5 million kilometers sunward of Earth, providing an uninterrupted view of the Sun and the incoming solar wind before it reaches our planet. This vantage point enables earlier, more accurate alerts for geomagnetic storm conditions. Together with IMAP’s science mission to deepen understanding of how space storms develop and dissipate, SWFO-L1’s operational data and Carruthers’ exosphere imaging create a more complete picture spanning solar drivers to geospace response.
- Earlier alerts for geomagnetic disturbances and radiation hazards
- Improved situational awareness for satellite operators and power grid managers
- More accurate modeling of the near-Earth space environment
- New datasets on atmospheric escape that inform planetary evolution studies
What comes next
The spacecraft will cruise to L1 and enter commissioning prior to routine operations. Once online, SWFO-L1’s measurements are expected to feed operational forecasting, while Carruthers’ imaging will advance research on Earth’s outer atmosphere. In parallel, IMAP will conduct targeted heliophysics investigations to improve the science underpinning future space-weather resilience.
For full mission context and updates, see the official announcement on NASA.gov.
