NASA's IMAP to launch soon: What is it studying
NASA is set to launch its Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) this Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
IMAP's main job? To explore the heliosphere—the giant bubble created by the Sun that acts as our solar system's protective shield against cosmic radiation.
Scientists hope IMAP will reveal how this shield interacts with the local galactic environment beyond our solar system and responds to changes in solar activity.
How to watch the launch
IMAP will park itself about a million miles from Earth at Lagrange point L1, where it can keep an eye on incoming solar particles and give up to 30 minutes' warning for space weather events.
The data will help make future Moon and Mars missions safer for astronauts—especially those heading out with NASA's Artemis program.
If you're curious, you can catch the launch live starting at 6:40am EDT on NASA+ or Amazon Prime.