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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Follow-On Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft was successfully launched on September 24th. The spacecraft is expected to reach Lagrange Point 1 in January 2026, at which time it will complete commissioning and transition to science operations. The SWFO-L1 satellite will be dedicated to monitoring the Sun’s outer atmosphere for coronal mass ejections and solar wind streams, providing early warning of space weather events that could threaten orbiting satellites, Earth industries that are susceptible to geomagnetic disturbances, and present a hazard to astronauts. SWFO-L1 is able to transmit continuous real-time data.
With a nominal five-year prime mission, the spacecraft has sufficient consumables on board to last 10 years.
Mutant Space Threat
A bacteria, unknown on Earth, has been identified in samples collected by the crew of the Chinese Tiangong space station. The first new microbial discovery, named “Niallia tiangongensis,” was found in the station’s habitation module and shares genetic similarities with Niallia circulans, a terrestrial soil bacterium. However, this new variant has demonstrated unique characteristics that allow it to adapt to conditions on the station, including microgravity and elevated radiation levels. It is also unique in its spore formation capabilities – allowing it to surround itself with a protective shell during times of environmental stress. The discovery has health implications for long-term spaceflight where rapidly evolving microbes could threaten crews with weakened immune systems.
Deimos
NOAA’s SWFO-L1 satellite will give Earth advanced warning of energetic solar events
Case for Ocean Life
Credit: China National Space Administration
Space Weather Satellite Launched
Twenty years ago, NASA's Cassini spacecraft discovered evidence of a vast salty ocean hidden beneath the icy crust of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Since that mission concluded, scientists have been revisiting the data received from the Cassini’s multiple passes through the plumes erupting from the moon’s south pole and Saturn’s E-ring which is fed by the emissions. In new research, recently published in the Journal Nature Astronomy, scientists have identified large complex organic molecules, including compounds with oxygen and nitrogen that, on Earth, are required for life. The discovery was found in the data from a 2008 flyby of Enceladus when Cassini flew straight through the plumes. The icy grains that hit the spacecraft's Cosmic Dust Analyzer instrument had been ejected from the surface only minutes before.
The discovery, combined with evidence of liquid water and hydrothermal activity, strengthens the possibility of life in the subsurface ocean. The European Space Agency is planning a mission to Enceladus, which could include a landing on the moon's south pole for sample collection.
Illustration showing plumes of water vapor and ice erupting from fractures near Enceladus’ south pole
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech