New dedicated space weather observatory on its way to orbit
The observatory will serve as an early warning beacon for solar storms
The Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on September 24, 2025, from NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellite will reach its final location at Lagrange point 1 next January, about a million miles from Earth. This point between Earth and the Sun is an ideal location for solar observatories because it provides a constant view of the Sun. The satellite’s launch marks the first NOAA satellite dedicated to continuous, operational space weather observations.
SpaceX 9 launch
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) missions launches from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025.
Credit: NASA
SWFO-L1 has a solar telescope to monitor the sun’s activity and a suite of instruments to take real-time measurements of the solar wind and charged particles before they reach Earth. Other instruments aboard SWFO-L1 include a Solar Wind Plasma Sensor, a SupraThermal Ion Sensor, a Magnetometer, and a Compact Coronagraph (CCOR) that detects coronal mass ejections shortly after they erupt.
“The SWFO Compact Coronagraph program makes a big leap in reliability compared to current operational instruments for solar storm detection,” said Don Schmit, CIRES lead for CCOR. NOAA now controls two coronagraphs, the other riding on GOES-19, to ensure continuous monitoring of the solar corona.
SWFO-L1 will deliver real-time data to SWPC to support faster and more accurate forecasts, watches, and warnings of solar and geomagnetic storms. Solar and geomagnetic storms can wreak havoc on navigation systems, satellite and radio communications, and the electric power grid. Radiation also threatens the health of astronauts in space.
CIRES researchers from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) worked on the data calibration pipelines for the observatory to support SWPC forecast operations.
“The continuous, timely flow of data from SWFO-L1 will give SWPC forecasters critical lead time to issue warnings for stakeholders to take actions to protect vital infrastructure, economic interests, and national security on Earth and in space in the event of a solar storm,” said Jeff Johnson, CIRES project lead for SWFO-L1. NCEI will archive the real-time data from SWPC and process the data retrospectively, taking advantage of improved instrument calibrations for public use.
Benefits of SWFO-L1
As an operational observatory, SWFO-L1 will deliver real-time data to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) , enabling faster and more accurate forecasts, watches, and warnings. This critical information helps protect the nation's power grid, communication and navigation systems, and supports the safety of astronauts and space-based infrastructure. Key industries and assets vulnerable to space weather are listed in the graphic.
