SWFO-L1 Now Set to Launch on Wednesday, 24 September

SWFO-L1 is onboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket and systems are in final stages of preparation for launch. The launch was postponed to Wednesday, 24 September at 7:30 am EDT to allow more time for recovery assets to arrive at the landing zone. The rocket and all three spacecraft (NASA's IMAP and Carruthers, and NOAA's SWFO-L1) remain healthy and the weather outlook is 90% favorable for the new launch date and time. SWFO-L1 is a critical replacement for aged research solar wind and coronagraph observatories at the highly important Lagrange Point 1 (L1) orbital location. SWFO-L1 has the latest technology and enhancements for more accurate solar wind measurements. Also, its included compact coronagraph will allow for more timely and better resolution observations of solar eruptions known as coronal mass ejections (CME) that can pound Earth and lead to intense geomagnetic storms that have the potential to affect many critical technologies we rely upon today - such as the electric power grid. NOAA's SWFO-L1 will be busy doing its part to safeguard society a million miles from home with its essential space weather observations that will be used by SWPC to help protect national critical infrastructure with actionable space weather observations, forecasts, and warnings.