BAE Systems space weather mission launch of two spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, supporting critical NASA and NOAA space weather missions. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and Space Weather Follow On – L1 (SWFO-L1) lifted off together on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, heading to Lagrange Point 1, about 1 million miles from Earth toward the Sun.
Designed and built by BAE Systems, the spacecraft will provide scientists and forecasters with advanced tools to improve understanding of the Sun’s impact on Earth.
Advancing Space Weather Monitoring
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will be the first heliophysics mission dedicated to studying the Sun’s effects on the Earth’s exosphere — the outermost layer of the atmosphere. It will explore questions about the exosphere’s size, shape, and density, and how it responds during periods of intense solar activity.
Meanwhile, SWFO-L1 will deliver continuous space weather observations, monitoring coronal mass ejections and measuring solar wind. The mission is expected to provide critical early warnings of disruptive solar events that can affect both terrestrial and space-based infrastructure.
“Through the launch of both the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and SWFO-L1 we will enhance our understanding of the Sun, the Earth’s exosphere and how space weather can impact our lives,” said Bonnie Patterson, vice president and general manager of Civil Space for BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems. “We are proud to support the missions of NASA and NOAA and the next generation science programs that these space weather missions will enable.”
Built on BAE Systems’ Evolve Spacecraft Platform
Both spacecraft were developed using BAE Systems’ Evolve spacecraft platform, a design that leverages common buses and standardized payload interfaces to reduce cost and shorten delivery timelines. Each completed extensive design, testing, and build phases, incorporating commercial best practices to ensure mission readiness.
BAE Systems also trained flight operations teams and will continue to support mission operations for both observatories.
Partnerships Driving Scientific Discovery
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is a collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, led by Dr. Lara Waldrop as principal investigator, with contributions from the University of California, Berkeley, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
SWFO-L1, managed by NOAA in partnership with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the commercial industry, will play a vital role in protecting critical infrastructure through improved space weather forecasting.
Both missions launched as rideshares alongside NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), highlighting the growing efficiency of multi-mission space launches.
