New Missions to L1

Three heliophysics missions will be launched to Lagrange Point 1 (L1) where they will get an uninterrupted view of the Sun about one million miles from Earth towards the Sun. The missions will launch no earlier than September 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

IMAP
NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) will study the heliosphere, the Sun’s magnetic bubble that shields our solar system, to better understand the protective boundary. To achieve this, IMAP will sample, analyze, and map particles streaming toward Earth from the edges of interstellar space. The mission also will help researchers learn more about the solar wind — the constant stream of particles from the Sun — energetic particles, and cosmic rays in the heliosphere. These particles can affect human explorers in space, harm technological systems, and likely play a role in the presence of life itself in the universe.

Carruthers Geocorona Observatory
NASA's Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will study Earth's geocorona, the part of the outer atmosphere that emits ultraviolet light. Studying this will allow researchers to better understand the atmosphere and improve our ability to predict how solar activity can affect Earth.

SWFO-L1
NOAA's Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) mission will keep a watchful eye on the Sun and near-Earth environment for space weather activity, using a suite of instruments to make real time measurements of the solar wind. The 24/7 data from SWFO-L1 will give operators critical lead time to take precautionary actions that protect vital infrastructure, economic interests and national security on Earth and in space.