NASA Seeks to Unlock Secrets of the Heliosphere's Solar Shield
The IMAP spacecraft will map the interstellar boundary and study solar wind particles to improve understanding of the Sun’s influence, NASA said.
- On Sept. 24, 2025, a Falcon 9 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at 7:30 a.m. EDT carrying NASA's IMAP and two rideshare satellites.
- The mission will map the outer boundary of the heliosphere and study solar wind and energetic particles from L1.
- The spacecraft carries 10 science instruments to study solar activity and interstellar dust, costing roughly $600 million while total IMAP program costs near $800 million.
- The mission suite will give 24/7 observations and data every 15 minutes, providing radiation warnings for astronauts and supporting protection of satellites and ground infrastructure.
- Joining NASA's fleet, these missions complement Parker Solar Probe and Voyagers while future launches like Sun Coronal Ejection Tracker aim to protect critical infrastructure after $500 million in 2024 flare damage.
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2 newly launched NASA missions will help scientists understand the influence of the Sun, both from up close and afar
NASA's IMAP mission is one of two launching in September 2025. NASA/Princeton University/Patrick McPikeEven at a distance of 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) away, activity on the Sun can have adverse effects on technological systems on Earth. Solar flares – intense bursts of energy in the Sun’s atmosphere – and coronal mass ejections – eruptions of plasma from the Sun – can affect the communications, satellite navigation and power grid…
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