On Wednesday, scientists successfully launched three significant missions, valued at nearly $1.6 billion, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. These missions are aimed toward an orbit nearly one million miles from Earth to measure the supersonic stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The launch took place from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:30 AM EDT (11:30 UTC).
One of the primary missions is spearheaded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which will provide real-time observations of the solar wind. This data is crucial for issuing advance warnings about geomagnetic storms that could disrupt power grids, radio communications, GPS navigation, air travel, and satellite operations. The two additional missions are from NASA, focusing on the boundary between our Solar System and interstellar space, as well as observing the rarely seen outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere.
After launch, the Falcon 9 rocket followed an eastward trajectory, successfully shedding its reusable first-stage booster for a landing offshore. The rocket then fired its upper stage engine twice to propel the three missions into deep space. Shortly thereafter, each spacecraft separated from the Falcon 9, embarking on a multi-month journey toward their designated observing locations in halo orbits around the L1 Lagrange point, a gravitational balance point located approximately 900,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth towards the Sun.
The flagship mission launched is the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP). This innovative spacecraft, which is shaped like a donut and measures about 8 feet (2.4 meters) in diameter, carries 10 science instruments that will measure various solar phenomena. IMAP's mission is groundbreaking as it will be the first spacecraft dedicated to mapping the heliosphere’s outer boundary, an essential aspect of understanding the Sun's influence on our Solar System.
As IMAP spins every 15 seconds, its sensors will collect data on ions traveling at speeds of 1 million miles per hour in the solar wind, interstellar dust particles, and energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) that are propelled back into the Solar System from the heliosphere's edge. According to principal investigator David McComas from Princeton University, these ENAs serve as cosmic messengers that travel unaffected by magnetic fields, allowing them to reach Earth’s orbit, where they can be measured by IMAP.
Another mission riding alongside IMAP is the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, a smaller spacecraft costing $97 million. This mission carries two co-aligned ultraviolet imagers designed for simultaneous observations of Earth's exosphere, a thin cloud of hydrogen gas that transitions into the vacuum of space. The exosphere generates a faint glow known as the geocorona, detectable only in ultraviolet light from significant distances.
Named after George Carruthers, an engineer and solar physicist, this observatory will help answer fundamental questions about the size, shape, and dynamics of the exosphere. As principal investigator Lara Waldrop from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign notes, understanding the exosphere is vital, especially considering its role in how solar storms affect Earth.
The last mission aboard the Falcon 9 is the Space Weather Follow On-L1 (SWFO-L1), the world's first operational satellite specifically dedicated to monitoring space weather. Valued at $692 million, this NOAA mission will serve as an early warning system for the potentially devastating impacts of geomagnetic storms. Once operational, SWFO-L1 will be renamed SOLAR-1 and is expected to enhance our understanding of solar activity and its effects on Earth.
SWFO-L1 is equipped with four instruments, including a coronagraph to detect solar eruptions that trigger geomagnetic storms. This mission will provide timely data to power grid operators, airlines, and satellite personnel, enabling them to take preventive measures before significant solar events occur.
By bundling IMAP, Carruthers, and SWFO-L1 onto a single rocket, NASA and its partners saved tens of millions of dollars in launch costs. Typically, these missions would require separate rockets, making this collaborative launch a remarkable achievement. Joe Westlake, director of NASA's heliophysics division, emphasized that this launch represents the ultimate cosmic carpool, providing immense value for American taxpayers.
This coordinated effort not only highlights the efficiency of space missions but also marks a pivotal moment for advancing our understanding of solar phenomena and their impacts on Earth and beyond.
