INTERSTELLAR MAPPING AND ACCELERATION PROBE (IMAP)

Current Context : NASA has launched the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) to study how solar particles are energized, map the heliosphere’s boundary, and improve space weather forecasting.

ABOUT IMAP

• Purpose
  • To map the heliosphere (a bubble formed by the Sun’s solar wind).
  • To trace energetic particles and study cosmic rays.
  • To improve forecasting of solar storms and space radiation hazards.
• Location
  • Placed at the Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 1 (L1), about 1 million miles from Earth toward the Sun.
• Functions
  • Provides real-time observations of solar wind and space weather.
  • Helps scientists monitor cosmic rays and understand how the heliosphere protects life on Earth.
  • Supports fundamental physics research at both micro and cosmic scales.
• Instruments
  • Equipped with 10 scientific instruments.
  • Includes energetic neutral-atom detectors (IMAP-Lo, IMAP-Hi, IMAP-Ultra).
  • Instruments study charged particles, interstellar dust, and magnetic fields.