BAE Systems has announced the successful launch of two spacecraft designed to support NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in monitoring the Sun and its effects on Earth, according to the company.
NASA's Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and NOAA's Space Weather Follow On - L1 (SWFO-L1) were launched together aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center on 24 September.
Both are now en route to Lagrange point 1, about one million miles from Earth in the direction of the Sun.
The company explained that the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will study the Sun's influence on the exosphere, the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere. It is the first heliophysics mission focused on observing the exosphere during both quiet and active solar conditions, and aims to answer questions about its structure, density, and response to solar storms.
SWFO-L1 will provide continuous observations of space weather, tracking coronal mass ejections and measuring solar wind. According to BAE Systems, the data will give forecasters early warning of potentially disruptive events that could affect both space-based systems and terrestrial infrastructure.
Bonnie Patterson, vice president and general manager of Civil Space for BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems, said: "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. We are proud to support the missions of NASA and NOAA and the next generation science programs that these space weather missions will enable."
Both spacecraft were designed and built using BAE's Evolve spacecraft platform, which the company said employs a common bus and standardised payload interfaces to cut costs and speed delivery. Each underwent design, testing, and assembly phases before delivery, and BAE Systems also trained the flight operations teams that will support the missions.
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is a collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, led by principal investigator Dr. Lara Waldrop, alongside the University of California, Berkeley, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
The SWFO-L1 mission is managed by NOAA and developed with NASA Goddard and commercial partners. Both satellites launched as part of a rideshare with NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP).