Why in the News?

NASA has recently launched the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.

About IMAP Mission:

Context: Operates under NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Probes Program, following missions like STEREO and IBEX.
Objective: To map the heliosphere boundary, study energetic particle acceleration, and understand how the solar wind interacts with the interstellar medium.
Location: Positioned at Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1), ~1.5 million km from Earth, ensuring continuous solar observation.

NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP)

The heliosphere is a vast bubble-like region around the Sun created by the flow of solar wind (charged particles emitted by the Sun).
It extends well beyond Pluto and acts as a shield, protecting the solar system from much of the harmful cosmic radiation from interstellar space.
Its outer boundary, called the heliopause, marks where solar wind pressure balances with interstellar medium pressure.

Scientific Payload: 10 instruments including- Energetic Neutral Atom Detectors; Charged Particle Detectors and Magnetic & Dust Sensors.
Real-Time Alerts: Equipped with I-ALiRT (Active Link for Real-Time) to broadcast space weather data and provide ~30 minutes’ warning of harmful solar radiation.
Spacecraft Design: Spin-stabilized, in a Lissajous orbit around L1, ensuring Sun-facing stability.
Enhanced Sensitivity: Higher resolution compared to ACE and IBEX, enabling detection of faint cosmic signals.

Scientific: Creates the most detailed maps of the heliosphere boundary, improves understanding of solar wind, cosmic rays, and space weather.
Technological: Strengthens space weather forecasting, safeguarding satellites, GPS systems, and power grids.
Human Spaceflight: Critical for Artemis and future deep-space missions, informing radiation shielding and safe travel routes.
Global Collaboration: Complements missions like NASA–ESA’s Solar Orbiter and the upcoming LISA mission, boosting multi-messenger space science.
Habitability Research: Provides insights into how heliospheres shield planets, vital for studying Earth’s resilience and exoplanet habitability.

[UPSC 2016] What is ‘Greased Lightning-10 (GL-10)’, recently in the news?

Options: (a) Electric plane tested by NASA *

(b) Solar-powered two-seater aircraft designed by Japan

(d) Reusable rocket designed by ISRO