IMAP's primary mission is to study the heliosphere, a protective magnetic bubble created by the Sun that shields the solar system from interstellar radiation. By sampling, analyzing, and mapping particles from the edges of interstellar space, IMAP aims to provide a deeper understanding of this boundary. Insights from the mission are expected to enhance knowledge about the solar wind, energetic particles, and cosmic rays - all of which influence human activities in space, technological systems, and possibly the emergence of life in the universe.
In addition to IMAP, two other spacecraft will accompany the mission as rideshares:
- Carruthers Geocorona Observatory: This NASA mission, led by Professor Lara Waldrop from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will study Earth's geocorona, the ultraviolet-emitting outermost layer of the atmosphere. The data will help improve predictions of how solar activity impacts Earth.
- Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1): Managed by NOAA, this mission will monitor the Sun's corona and measure solar wind conditions, providing advanced warnings of space weather that could affect Earth.
All three spacecraft will operate from Lagrange Point 1 (L1), a location about one million miles from Earth towards the Sun, where gravitational forces between the Earth and Sun are balanced. L1 is an ideal vantage point for observing solar phenomena and monitoring conditions that could impact Earth.
The spacecraft will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Princeton University professor David J. McComas leads the IMAP mission with support from 25 international partner institutions. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is responsible for building and operating the spacecraft. IMAP is the fifth mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program, managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for the agency's Heliophysics Division.
NOAA manages SWFO-L1, including its operations and data dissemination, while NASA's Launch Services Program oversees launch services from Kennedy Space Center.
IMAP and its rideshare partners represent a significant step forward in heliophysics research, providing essential insights into solar-terrestrial interactions and advancing our ability to predict and mitigate space weather impacts.
