On September 24, the Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory began its million-mile journey to become the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) first satellite designed specifically for continuous, operational space weather observations. It was launched successfully from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 7:30 a.m. EDT from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“Once in operation, the observatory will serve as Earth’s early warning system for coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and other potentially dangerous space weather emanating from the Sun. SWFO-L1 will carry a suite of instruments, including the Compact Coronagraph-2, NOAA’s second compact coronagraph in orbit,” reported NOAA.
“SWFO-L1 will give our forecasters at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center the advanced tools they need to protect our country’s vital infrastructure,” said Irene Parker, deputy assistant administrator for systems at NOAA Satellite and Information Service. “This launch is not just about a new satellite; it’s about building a more resilient future and ensuring that the technologies we depend on are protected from the sun’s most extreme events.”
Space weather events—such as CMEs—can severely impact GPS, power grids, communications grids used by airline pilots and the military, and any human space activity if in range.
