SpaceX is preparing to launch a trio of spacecraft on a pioneering mission aimed at exploring the sun’s influence across the solar system. The launch is scheduled for September 23, 2023, at 07:32 a.m. EDT (11:32 GMT) from Launch Complex-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The payload will include NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow-on (SWFO-L1), and NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory.
The spacecraft will journey to the Earth-sun Lagrange Point-1 (L1), approximately 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth, where they will operate in a stable orbit receiving continuous sunlight. Each mission has distinct objectives, but collectively they aim to enhance our understanding of the Earth-sun relationship.
IMAP’s Groundbreaking Role
IMAP represents a significant advancement in space exploration as it is the first spacecraft dedicated to mapping the outer boundary of the heliosphere, the vast magnetic bubble that envelops our solar system. Equipped with ten scientific instruments, developed by teams across the United States and with contributions from 27 international partners, IMAP will measure solar wind, interstellar dust, and charged particles. This information will also facilitate continuous monitoring of solar weather.
Operating from the L1 vantage point, IMAP and its accompanying satellites will be able to provide advanced warnings of harmful radiation storms directed toward Earth, offering a lead time of 30 minutes to one hour. This capability is crucial for upcoming space missions, particularly those venturing beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), which include NASA’s Artemis 2 flight around the moon in 2026 and the Artemis 3 lunar landing mission in 2027.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, emphasized the mission’s importance during a press conference on September 4, stating, “IMAP will provide warnings beginning with Artemis 2 and Artemis 3 of incoming harmful radiation storms faster than any other spacecraft has done before.”
Collaborative Efforts for Enhanced Monitoring
The NOAA’s SWFO-L1 satellite will serve as a dedicated solar alert system, continuously monitoring space weather and energetic particles in real time. Its data will directly contribute to NOAA’s forecasting models, assisting in the protection of satellites, communication systems, and power grids from potential geomagnetic storms.
Alongside these missions, NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, previously known as the Global Lyman-alpha Imagers of the Dynamic Exosphere (GLIDE), will focus on studying Earth’s exosphere, a tenuous layer of atmosphere that extends nearly halfway to the moon. Principal investigator Lara Waldrop from the University of Illinois noted, “We actually don’t know exactly how big it is. We don’t know whether it’s spherical or oval, how much it changes over time, or even the density of its constituent hydrogen atoms.”
Research from the Carruthers Observatory will provide unique insights into the exosphere’s role during geomagnetic storms and improve understanding of how atomic hydrogen escapes Earth’s gravity. This data will also contribute to models of planetary evolution, which are essential in the search for habitable exoplanets.
The upcoming launch by SpaceX marks a significant step forward in solar system exploration. With a comprehensive approach involving multiple spacecraft, this mission aims to deliver critical data that will enhance our understanding of solar influences on Earth and beyond.
