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SpaceX launched three new spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on September 24, 2025, to study the Sun and its effects on Earth. NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) are heading to Lagrange Point 1, about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.
From there, they will monitor solar activity, track its impact on the edge of the solar system, and improve forecasting of storms that can disrupt technology and power systems.
Space weather begins with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun. These can interfere with satellites, damage power grids, and endanger astronauts. L1 offers a stable vantage point with an uninterrupted view of the Sun.
It is already home to missions such as SOHO, which has observed solar activity since 1995. The three new spacecraft will join this group in January 2026 after a months-long journey.
IMAP will focus on the heliosphere, the vast bubble created by the solar wind that shields Earth from cosmic radiation. Carrying ten instruments, it will measure particles from the Sun and beyond, updating and extending the work of NASA’s earlier IBEX mission. Led by David McComas of Princeton University, the project involves 27 institutions worldwide, and its data will be shared freely.
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will examine the geocorona, a hydrogen cloud at the edge of Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists want to understand how this region reacts to solar storms and how it affects satellites and communications. Named after George Carruthers, who built an ultraviolet camera for Apollo 16, the mission is led by Lara Waldrop at the University of Illinois and will begin collecting data in 2026.
SWFO-L1, operated by NOAA, is designed to provide real-time warnings of solar eruptions, including coronal mass ejections. The data will help protect satellites, aviation, and power systems. Richard Ullman of NOAA described the mission as a step toward safeguarding society from solar hazards. Unlike ground systems, SWFO-L1 will deliver uninterrupted monitoring from space.
All three spacecraft checked in with mission control after launch and are functioning as expected. Once at L1, they will calibrate instruments before beginning full operations.
Together, the missions will improve understanding of solar storms and provide better protection for technology on Earth and for astronauts traveling to the Moon and Mars. The Falcon 9 booster that carried them also landed successfully on a droneship, marking SpaceX’s 121st launch of the year.
