NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for an observatory designed to study space weather and explore and map the boundaries of our solar neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Launching with IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) are two rideshare missions, NASA\u2019s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1), both of which will provide insight into space weather and its impacts at Earth and across the solar system.<\/p>\n
Liftoff of the missions on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is targeted for 7:32 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 23, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Watch coverage beginning at 6:40 a.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and more. Learn how to watch NASA content<\/a> through a variety of platforms, including social media.<\/p>\n The IMAP<\/a> spacecraft will study how the Sun\u2019s energy and particles interact with the heliosphere \u2014 an enormous protective bubble of space around our solar system \u2014 to enhance our understanding of space weather, cosmic radiation, and their impacts on Earth and human and robotic space explorers. The spacecraft and its two rideshares will orbit approximately one million miles from Earth, positioned toward the Sun at a location known as Lagrange Point 1.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory<\/a> is a small satellite that will observe Earth\u2019s outermost atmospheric layer, the exosphere. It will image the faint glow of ultraviolet light from this region, called the geocorona, to better understand how space weather impacts our planet. The Carruthers mission continues the legacy of the Apollo era, expanding on measurements first taken during Apollo 16<\/a>.<\/p>\n The SWFO-L1<\/a> spacecraft will monitor space weather and detect solar storms in advance, serving as an early warning beacon for potentially disruptive space weather, helping safeguard Earth\u2019s critical infrastructure and technological-dependent industries. The SWFO-L1 spacecraft is the first NOAA observatory designed specifically for and fully dedicated to continuous, operational space weather observations.<\/p>\n Media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed. NASA\u2019s media credentialing policy<\/a> is available online. For questions about media accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s mission coverage is as follows <\/a>(all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):<\/p>\n Sunday, Sept. 21<\/p>\n 2:30 p.m. \u2013 NASA Prelaunch News Conference on New Space Weather Missions<\/p>\n Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington Watch the briefing on the agency\u2019s website<\/a> or NASA\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n Media may ask questions in person or via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation for previously credentialed media. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n 3:45 p.m. \u2013 NASA, NOAA Science News Conference on New Space Weather Missions<\/p>\n Joe Westlake, director, Heliophysics Division, NASA Headquarters Watch the briefing on the agency\u2019s website<\/a> or NASA\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov<\/a>. Members of the public may ask questions on social media using the hashtag #AskNASA.<\/p>\n Monday, Sept. 22<\/p>\n 11:30 a.m. \u2013 In-person media one-on-one interviews with the following:<\/p>\n Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters Remote media may request a one-on-one video interview online<\/a> by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18.<\/p>\n Tuesday, Sept. 23<\/p>\n 6:40 a.m. \u2013 Launch coverage begins on NASA+,<\/a>\u00a0 Amazon Prime<\/a> and more. NASA\u2019s Spanish launch coverage begins on NASA+<\/a>, and the agency\u2019s Spanish-language YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n 7:32 a.m. \u2013 Launch<\/p>\n Audio-Only Coverage<\/p>\n Audio-only of the launch coverage will be carried on the NASA \u201cV\u201d circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, or -1240. On launch day, \u201cmission audio,\u201d countdown activities without NASA+ media launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.<\/p>\n NASA Website Launch Coverage<\/p>\n Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the agency\u2019s website<\/a>. Coverage will include links to live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 6 a.m., Sept. 23, as the countdown milestones occur. Streaming video and photos of the launch will be accessible on demand shortly after liftoff. Follow countdown coverage on the IMAP blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n For questions about countdown coverage, contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468.<\/p>\n Para obtener informaci\u00f3n sobre cobertura en espa\u00f1ol en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en espa\u00f1ol, comun\u00edquese con Mar\u00eda-Jos\u00e9 Vi\u00f1as: maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n Attend Launch Virtually<\/p>\n Members of the public can register<\/a> to attend this launch virtually. NASA\u2019s virtual guest program<\/a> for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.<\/p>\n Watch, Engage on Social Media<\/p>\n Let people know you\u2019re watching the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:<\/p>\n X: @NASA,<\/a> @NASAKennedy<\/a>, @NASASolarSystem<\/a>, @NOAASatellies<\/a><\/p>\n Facebook: NASA<\/a>, NASA Kennedy<\/a>, NASA Solar System<\/a>, NOAA Satellites<\/a><\/p>\n Instagram: @NASA<\/a>, @NASAKennedy<\/a>,\u00a0@NASASolarSystem<\/a>, @NOAASatellites<\/a><\/p>\n For more information about these missions, visit:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/sun<\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Abbey Interrante Sarah Frazier Leejay Lockhart John Jones-Bateman
\nBrad Williams, IMAP program executive, NASA Headquarters
\nIrene Parker, deputy assistant administrator for Systems at NOAA\u2019s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
\nDenton Gibson, launch director, NASA\u2019s Launch Services Program, NASA Kennedy
\nJulianna Scheiman, director, NASA Science Missions, SpaceX
\nArlena Moses, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force<\/p>\n
\nDavid McComas, IMAP principal investigator, Princeton University
\nLara Waldrop, Carruthers Geocorona Observatory principal investigator, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
\nJamie Favors, director, Space Weather Program, Heliophysics Division, NASA Headquarters
\nClinton Wallace, director, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
\nJames Spann, senior scientist, NOAA Office of Space Weather Observations<\/p>\n
\nKieran Hegarty, IMAP project manager, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
\nJamie Rankin, IMAP instrument lead for Solar Wind and Pickup Ion, Princeton University
\nJohn Clarke, Carruthers deputy principal investigator, Boston University
\nDimitrios Vassiliadis, SWFO-L1 program scientist, NOAA
\nBrent Gordon, deputy director, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center<\/p>\n
Headquarters, Washington
301-201-0124
abbey.a.interrante@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
202-853-7191
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n
NOAA\u2019s Satellite and Information Service, Silver Spring, Md.
202-242-0929
john.jones-bateman@noaa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n