SOLAR-1 reaches Lagrange point 1, beginning NOAA’s new operational era in space-weather observation
A new operational space-weather satellite, named SOLAR-1, took position between Earth and the Sun on January 23, 2026, about 1.6 million km (1 million miles) from Earth. The observatory begins the transition of U.S. space-weather monitoring from research missions to continuous hazard surveillance, enabling earlier detection of solar storms that can affect satellites, communications, and power systems.
Image credit: NASA
- SOLAR-1 is NOAA’s first satellite built solely for continuous, operational space-weather monitoring, shifting from research missions to sustained hazard observation
- After commissioning, it is expected to enter full service in spring 2026, beginning 24-hour solar monitoring from the Sun–Earth Lagrange point 1
- Officials described the mission as a cornerstone in developing a space-weather-ready nation
- The data support the protection of power grids, navigation and communication systems, aviation, and crewed spaceflight operations, including NASA’s Artemis missions
NOAA’s newly commissioned Space Weather Follow On–Lagrange 1 spacecraft reached its final orbital destination at L1 on January 23, 2026, following a sequence of trajectory-correction maneuvers that culminated in its final engine burn.
The observatory, now officially renamed Space weather Observations at L1 to Advance Readiness–1 (SOLAR-1), is positioned roughly 1.6 million km (1 million miles) from Earth, between the planet and the Sun. From this gravitationally stable region, the satellite maintains an uninterrupted view of solar activity and the interplanetary space through which charged particles travel toward Earth.
SOLAR-1 is the first NOAA satellite designed specifically for and fully dedicated to continuous, operational space-weather observations, beginning a transition from research-focused missions toward sustained hazard monitoring.
The new satellite will provide real-time solar wind, magnetic-field, and energetic-particle measurements directly supporting NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. This will enable forecasters to issue timely warnings of geomagnetic storms and related impacts on communication, navigation, and power systems.
From its position at L1, SOLAR-1 provides essential lead time, often tens of minutes to more than an hour, before solar eruptions reach Earth’s magnetosphere. This allows early warnings for potential disturbances to critical systems, including satellite operations, long-range radio communications, aviation navigation, and electric-power grids.
The satellite’s continuous coverage also supports protection measures for crewed missions such as NASA’s Artemis lunar program.
The spacecraft carries a compact but advanced suite of instruments. The Compact Coronagraph-2 (CCOR-2) images the solar corona, tracking coronal mass ejections from their origin. The Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) and SupraThermal Ion Sensor (STIS) measure particle velocities and composition, while a Magnetometer (MAG) records the solar magnetic-field vector.
NOAA expects SOLAR-1 to begin operational service in spring 2026 following a multi-month commissioning and instrument-calibration phase. Once active, its data will flow from the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland, with telemetry routed via the SWFO ground segment to the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, for real-time forecasting. Long-term archiving is handled by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information in Boulder and Asheville, North Carolina.
The mission represents a continuation of NOAA–NASA collaboration in space-weather observation. The spacecraft was developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center under NOAA specifications, while NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center managed launch operations.
SOLAR-1 was launched on September 24, 2025, at 11:30 UTC aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. It shared its ride with NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, lowering overall mission cost through a rideshare configuration.
SOLAR-1 succeeds and expands on the role of earlier L1 observers such as the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, launched in 1995, and Deep Space Climate Observatory, launched in 2015. While both have exceeded their design lifetimes, SOLAR-1 introduces improved temporal resolution, dynamic range and spatial resolution, along with a shorter downlink and processing pipeline intended to deliver observations to forecasters more quickly.
Its data are expected to refine coronal mass ejection arrival-time forecasts, quantify solar-wind energy coupling to Earth’s magnetosphere, and support next-generation space-weather models used internationally by partner agencies and research centers.
Greg Marlow, director of NOAA’s Office of Space Weather Observations, said SOLAR-1 represents a significant advancement in operational capability for defending infrastructure against solar storms.
Richard Ullman, the office’s deputy director, compared its role to terrestrial hurricane monitoring, detecting and measuring solar eruptions before they make landfall on Earth, while Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, said reliable upstream measurements serve not only scientific interests but also the day-to-day resilience of modern society, from agriculture and aviation to defense operations.
With SOLAR-1 now in place, NOAA expands the United States’ operational capability to detect and forecast hazardous solar activity with greater precision and lead time, ensuring a more resilient technological environment for both Earth- and space-based systems.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.