NewsBytes Explainer: NASA's solar probes launched to study space weather
On September 24, 2025, SpaceX launched two NASA missions (IMAP and CGO) and one NOAA mission (SWFO-L1) from Kennedy Space Center using a Falcon 9 rocket.
The goal? To help us better understand how the Sun affects space weather and to boost our ability to predict solar storms.
Bonus: Falcon 9's first stage nailed its landing on a droneship, showing off that reusable rocket tech again.
Probes will be stationed at Lagrange Point 1
These probes are heading to a spot between Earth and the Sun called Lagrange Point 1 (they'll get there by January 2026).
IMAP will map the "bubble" around our solar system; CGO will watch how sunlight hits Earth's outer atmosphere; SWFO-L1 will track solar storms in real time.
Their data could mean earlier warnings for things like satellite blackouts or power grid issues—and even help keep future Artemis Moon missions safer.