First Satellite for New Early Warning System for Solar Storms Launches

The satellite "Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1" (SWFO-L1) is designed to detect solar storms early using a magnetometer. The sensor-related electronics were developed by the Graz Institute for Space Research, as announced by the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Early Warning System for Solar Storms to Start in March

The SWFO program is operated by the "US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration" (NOAA). It consists of three satellites, which will launch in 2025, 2029, and 2032. The first, SWFO-L1, will fly on Tuesday piggyback with the NASA probe "Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe" (IMAP). The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will take place at 1:32 PM CEST from the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In January 2026, the satellite is expected to reach its target, the Lagrange Point 1 (L1), which lies on the line connecting the Sun and Earth.

The Lagrange or liberation points are five points in the system of two celestial bodies. A lighter body, such as a satellite, can orbit the more massive celestial body, in this case, the Sun, without propulsion and with the same orbital period as the less massive celestial body, the Earth. Additionally, its position relative to the two celestial bodies does not change. Since SWFO-L1 will be about 1.5 million kilometers closer to the central star of the Milky Way than Earth, it can measure the effects of a solar storm about ten to 60 minutes before they reach the planet. This makes the satellite usable as an early warning system. It is expected to begin its observations in March 2026. According to the announcement, the mission duration is five years, with a lifespan and payload designed for ten years.

Solar Storms Threaten Modern Technologies

The solar wind consists of a stream of charged particles that spread out into space from the central star. They encounter, for example, the Earth's magnetic field, where the charge of the particles causes phenomena such as the auroras. The magnetosphere of the planet, induced by the liquid Earth's core, generally also protects modern technologies, such as power supply, GPS systems, and other communication and navigation systems.

However, if solar storms are too strong and overcome the Earth's magnetic shield, they can cause enormous negative impacts. Sudden changes in the interplanetary magnetic field, which is transported by solar winds, could not only cripple power supplies but also damage or destroy electronic systems. Such changes can be caused, for example, by coronal mass ejections, i.e., solar flares where plasma is ejected, or high-speed solar winds. Solar storms can also endanger the health of astronauts in space.

IWF Graz Involved in Magnetometer for New Solar Storm Early Warning System

To be able to warn of solar storms, the SWFO mission consists of a special solar telescope and several instruments for real-time measurement of the solar wind. The IWF Graz is involved in the magnetometer (MAG) on board SWFO-L1. It was developed and built under the leadership of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The MAG consists of two three-axis fluxgate sensors from the University of New Hampshire. They are intended to measure the components of the interplanetary magnetic field transported by the solar wind.

The IWF Graz is responsible for the sensor-near electronics. Two miniaturized, radiation-resistant microchips are the heart of the board. They contain more than 50,000 electronic circuit elements, i.e., transistors, and were manufactured by ams-OSRAM in Premstätten, south of Graz. The chips are just four by five millimeters in size.

"We are eagerly anticipating the launch of SWFO-L1 and are simultaneously pleased that the contract for the construction of the magnetometers for the two follow-up missions was signed a few days ago," said IWF project manager David Fischer from the Space Magnetometer research group. So far, the microchips are already flying on five satellites, one South Korean and four from NASA, in space. For the SWFO program, they are now supposed to collect data for early warning of solar storms and as a basis for fundamental research on plasma processes, such as wave-particle interactions.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.