NOAA's SOLAR-1 Goes Live, Boosting U.S. Space Weather Readiness

NOAA’s SOLAR-1, the United States’ first satellite designed for continuous, operational space weather observations, has entered service after its year-long journey to the Sun-Earth L1 point. It will provide 24/7 real-time data on solar wind and CMEs, delivering CME imagery within about 30 minutes and in-situ data within five minutes to support warnings and decision-making for critical infrastructure, satellites, aviation, national security, and human spaceflight. Data will be publicly available via NOAA’s SWPC portal, strengthening preparedness for space-weather events and missions like Artemis II.