NASA, NOAA Launch 'Cosmic Carpool' to Study Sun, Earth's Atmosphere
On September 24, 2023, a Falcon 9 rocket launched a 'cosmic carpool' of three spacecraft for NASA and NOAA. The launch, initially planned for five spacecraft, was delayed by a day due to droneship positioning issues. The mission, with a total lifecycle cost of $1,553.2 million, is headed to the Earth-sun L1 Lagrange point, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.
The launch carried NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, alongside NOAA's Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1). SWFO-L1, an operational mission, will monitor solar activity and provide warnings of solar storms for NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. IMAP will study the solar wind, high-energy particles, and magnetic fields at the boundary between the solar wind and interstellar medium. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will observe the 'geocorona', a phenomenon caused by ultraviolet emissions in the uppermost region of Earth's atmosphere.
The launch was a cornerstone of NASA's efforts to maximize the value of launches by flying additional payloads on missions with excess capacity. Originally planned to carry five spacecraft, two were removed due to technical issues or funding problems.
The successful launch of these three spacecraft marks a significant step in understanding our sun's behavior and its impact on Earth, as well as exploring the boundary between the solar wind and interstellar medium. The mission, led by NASA and NOAA, is expected to provide valuable insights into space weather and its effects on our planet.
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