NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Follow On – L1 (SWFO-L1) were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Both spacecraft are now on their way to Lagrange Point 1, about 1.6 million kilometres from Earth, where they will orbit between Earth and the sun.
Built by BAE Systems on its Evolve platform, the twin missions will deliver critical data for scientists and forecasters. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory – a collaboration with the University of Illinois, University of California, Berkeley, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center – is the first heliophysics mission dedicated to studying how the sun influences Earth’s exosphere, the planet’s outermost atmospheric layer.
It will examine the exosphere’s shape, density and behaviour during both quiet and active solar periods, offering new insights into how intense solar storms affect Earth’s near-space environment.
Meanwhile, SWFO-L1 will track coronal mass ejections and measure solar wind in real time. By providing a continuous flow of data, the spacecraft will give early warnings of disruptive space weather events that can threaten satellites, power grids and communications systems on Earth.
Bonnie Patterson, vice president and general manager of civil space at BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems, said the launch marked a significant step forward.
“Through the launch of both the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and SWFO-L1, we will enhance our understanding of the sun, the Earth’s exosphere and how space weather can impact our lives,” she said.
Both spacecraft completed rigorous design, testing and build phases before delivery, with BAE Systems also training flight operations teams and set to provide ongoing mission support.
The SWFO-L1 mission is managed by NOAA with support from NASA Goddard and industry partners. Both satellites shared the ride to space with NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe.