Just lately, NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), together with the company’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and NOAA’s House Climate Comply with On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-1) spacecraft, were encapsulated contained in the payload fairing of their SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
These three spacecraft launched into a shared experience to orbit early Wednesday morning (Sept. 24).
What’s it?
While each spacecraft has a unique role, all three missions are united by a common theme: studying the solar wind, a continuous outflow of charged particles from the sun, and the effects of space weather throughout our solar system.
NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will research Earth’s exosphere, also called the geocorona, to hopefully give new insights into how our planet interacts with photo voltaic radiation.
In distinction, NOAA’s SWFO-L1 probe will take a look at photo voltaic storms from Lagrange Level 1, a steady orbital location about 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth, giving vital early warnings about incoming house climate.
Where is it?
This photo was taken at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility close to NASA’s Kennedy House Heart in Florida.
Why is it amazing?
Unlike the other two spacecraft, NASA’s IMAP will be looking farther from home, focusing on the boundary layer of our solar system and mapping and analyzing the interactions between the solar wind and interstellar space.
Want to learn more?
You can read more about NASA’s IMAP mission and the effects of space weather.
