NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched three complementary spacecraft to the Sun–Earth L1 point to strengthen space-weather forecasting and advance heliophysics research. At 7:30 a.m. EDT on Sept. 24, 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center carrying NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory (GLIDE), and NOAA’s SWFO-L1 spacecraft.
All three payloads separated from the rocket as planned and established contact with ground controllers. Over the coming months they will cruise to L1, approximately 1.6 million kilometers from Earth, with arrival expected in January. After instrument checkouts and calibration, the missions will transition into operations supporting improved space weather forecasts and fundamental solar-terrestrial science.
What each mission will do
- IMAP: Maps the boundaries of the heliosphere—the bubble carved by the solar wind around the solar system—and samples solar-wind particles flowing outward from the Sun along with energetic particles entering from the heliospheric boundary and interstellar space. IMAP is led by Princeton University; the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory built the spacecraft and will operate the mission with an international team spanning 27 partner institutions.
- Carruthers Geocorona Observatory (GLIDE): The first mission dedicated to tracking variability in Earth’s exosphere. By imaging the geocorona’s ultraviolet glow, it will characterize how the outermost atmosphere responds to solar storms and seasonal changes. The mission is led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley executes the mission and built two ultraviolet imagers; the spacecraft was built by BAE Systems.
- SWFO-L1 (NOAA): A first-of-its-kind, full-time operational space-weather observatory designed for uninterrupted 24/7 monitoring of the solar wind and solar activity near Earth. Data from SWFO-L1 are intended to enable faster, more accurate alerts that help protect critical infrastructure and space assets.
Why L1 matters
The Sun–Earth L1 point offers a continuous, unobstructed view of the Sun and the upstream solar wind before it reaches Earth. This vantage point is central to early warnings of geomagnetic disturbances, informing risk mitigation for satellites, power grids, aviation, and navigation services, and supporting crewed exploration plans to the Moon and Mars.
Launch and program management
NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy managed the launch service. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Explorers and Heliophysics Projects Division manages IMAP and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. SWFO-L1 is managed by NOAA and was developed in collaboration with NASA Goddard and commercial partners.
Source: NASA news release
