Three new missions are launching to map the Sun's influence across our solar system
NASA, NOAA, and the Space Force are preparing to launch a trio of spacecraft. This video covers the prelaunch news conference for three missions designed to study the solar wind and protect our technology from space weather threats.
The launch, scheduled for September 23, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, includes NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and NOAA’s SWFO-L1. These missions aim to study the solar wind—a continuous stream of particles from the Sun—and its effects from the Sun to the edge of the solar system.
The IMAP mission will chart the heliosphere, the bubble that shields our solar system from galactic cosmic rays. Meanwhile, the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will be the first mission dedicated to recording changes in Earth's exosphere by studying the ultraviolet glow of the geocorona. These efforts are critical for protecting satellites, power grids, and GPS, as well as safeguarding astronauts on future journeys to the Moon and Mars.
Source: NASA Prelaunch News Conference on Three New Space Weather Missions (Sept. 21, 2025)
