New Satellite Set to Launch: Key Player in Forecasting the Next Solar Storm

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1 month ago

Predicting the next solar storm: New satellite launching into space to play critical role

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ORLANDO, Fla. – On Tuesday, NASA and NOAA are launching a powerful new tool called the SWFO-L1 satellite, which stands for “Space Weather Follow-On at Lagrange Point 1,″ to help us better understand and prepare for space weather.

This satellite will play a critical role in detecting solar storms before they reach Earth, giving scientists, satellite operators and power grid managers more time to respond to potential disruptions.

The SWFO-L1 observatory is shown fully assembled at BAE’s facility in Boulder, CO. The spacecraft’s solar panel is facing up and the instruments are visible in the front part of the assembly.
[Credit: BAE Space & Mission Systems] (© BAE SYSTEMS)

Why do we care about solar storms?

Space weather is driven by activity on the Sun, like solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which can send streams of charged particles toward Earth.

These storms can interfere with GPS, communication systems, satellites and even power grids.

What will SWFO-L1 Do?

SWFO-L1 will monitor these solar events in real-time from its position about a million miles away at Lagrange Point 1. This location is the perfect vantage point between the Earth and the Sun for early detection.

As an operational observatory, SWFO-L1 will deliver real-time data to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), enabling faster and more accurate forecasts, watches, and warnings. This critical information helps protect the nation’s power grid, communication and navigation systems, and supports the safety of astronauts and space-based infrastructure. Key industries and assets vulnerable to space weather are listed in the graphic.

[Credit: NOAA]

The satellite is equipped with a solar coronagraph and instruments to measure solar wind and magnetic fields.

SWFO-L1 will send continuous data to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center with the hopes of improving forecasts, warnings and our overall understanding of how the Sun’s activity impacts Earth.

It’s especially important now, as older satellites like DSCOVR and ACE age and risk going offline.

Sustainable ride share mission

SWFO-L1 isn’t launching alone. It’s part of a “rideshare” mission, which is becoming a growing trend in space exploration where multiple satellites share a single rocket.

Alongside SWFO-L1 are IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), which will study the outer edge of the Sun’s influence in space, and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, which will observe Earth’s uppermost atmosphere.

Launch forecast

The main weather concerns for launch remain mid- and upper-level clouds. As of Monday morning, the launch has a 75% chance for Go!

Launch Forecast

By the backup window Wednesday morning, the disturbance will have cleared the area, shifting cloud cover southeast and allowing for drier air to move in.