The third and final Sun and space weather observatory successfully deployed from the second stage. NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is on a journey to Lagrange point 1. Carruthers mission will study Earth’s exosphere, the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It will be the first mission dedicated to understanding changes in this expansive region we know […]
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Follow-On Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft is now headed to Lagrange point 1 (L1) following separation from the SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage at 9:01 a.m. EDT. The SWFO-L1 satellite will monitor space weather from L1 and allows for the decommissioning of aging legacy satellites, that are […]
Mission controllers for NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) observatory have received full acquisition of signal from the spacecraft. NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) will help researchers better understand the boundary of the heliosphere, a huge magnetic bubble created by the Sun surrounding and protecting our solar system from harmful radiation across […]
NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) observatory is flying on its own after completing separation from the SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage. IMAP will maintain a steady rotation — four spins per minute — as it begins its journey to Lagrange point 1 (L1), located approximately one million miles from Earth in the direction […]
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will continue to coast for approximately 40 minutes, before its second stage ignites for a brief, one minute burn to place the payloads on their correct trajectory. Shortly before 9 a.m. the IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) observatory will separate from the rocket. The IMAP mission will map the boundaries of […]
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage successfully landed on the company’s drone ship, “Just Read the Instructions” stationed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. Meanwhile, the second stage engine in the Falcon 9’s has cut off. The IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) observatory is scheduled to separate from the rocket […]
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket passed through Max Q, the point of peak dynamic stress on the vehicle. Its nine Merlin engines, located in the booster, finished their burn, followed by successful first stage separation and fairing deployment. As the second stage continues carrying IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) and its two rideshares to […]
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA’s (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) and its two rideshare missions: NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Follow-On Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft, lifted off at 7:30 a.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy. Our coverage continues this morning through […]
NASA Launch Manager, Dr. Denton Gibson, has given NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) mission a “go” for launch! Mission and launch managers are counting down to the 7:30 a.m. EDT launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Fueling is underway for the second stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) observatory, Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft. The two-stage rocket is 229 feet tall and produces more than 1.7 million […]
