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International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP)

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)

Back2Basics: Heliosphere

  • 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.

Key Features:

  • 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.

Significance:

  • 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 NASAESA’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

(c) Space observatory launched by China

(d) Reusable rocket designed by ISRO

 

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