Coverage Begins for Newest Space Weather Mission
Online coverage is underway for this morning’s launch of NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow – On Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite.
NASA’s IMAP will use 10 science instruments to study and map the heliosphere, a vast magnetic bubble surrounding the Sun protecting our solar system from radiation incoming from interstellar space. It will scan the heliosphere, analyze the composition of charged particles, and investigate how the particles move throughout the solar system. This will provide insights into how the Sun accelerates charged particles, helping to complete essential pieces of the puzzle needed to understand the space weather environment throughout the solar system.
The IMAP spacecraft will also continuously monitor solar wind and cosmic radiation. This information can provide early warnings about space weather events that may impact human spaceflight, satellites, and power grids – affecting life on Earth.
NASA is targeting launch in 90 minutes at 7:30 a.m. EDT on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Live launch coverage begins at 6:40 a.m. EDT on NASA+, Amazon Prime, the agency’s website, and the agency’s YouTube Channel. NASA’s Spanish launch coverage also begins at 6:40 a.m. EDT on NASA+, and the agency’s Spanish-language YouTube channel.
Updates will be posted here on NASA’s IMAP blog, along with several NASA social media accounts.
X: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASolarSystem, @NOAASatellies
Facebook: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NASA Solar System, NOAA Satellites
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASolarSystem, @NOAASatellites
For more information about these missions, visit:
