NOAA’s SWFO-L1 Space Weather Observatory Nears Final Orbital Position, Systems Reported Healthy

January 6, 2026 — NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On-L1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft is nearing the final stages of its journey to Lagrange Point 1 (L1), with orbital insertion scheduled for January 20, 2026. According to a NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center update, the mission’s instrumentation is performing as expected, and engineers report that the spacecraft continues […]

January 6, 2026 — NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On-L1 (SWFO-L1) spacecraft is nearing the final stages of its journey to Lagrange Point 1 (L1), with orbital insertion scheduled for January 20, 2026. According to a NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center update, the mission’s instrumentation is performing as expected, and engineers report that the spacecraft continues to meet operational milestones as it approaches its final orbit.

SWFO-L1 was launched on September 24, 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is designed to provide continuous, real-time monitoring of the solar environment upstream of Earth. Upon reaching the gravitationally stable L1 point—approximately 1 million miles from Earth—it will be renamed SOLAR-1 (Space weather Observations at L1 to Advance Readiness-1).

Mission engineers are preparing to open the compact coronagraph (CCOR-2) door on January 21, the day after insertion, which will allow NOAA to begin evaluating imagery performance from this key instrument. Early tests of other sensor suites have already shown promising results.

SWFO-L1 carries several advanced instruments, including a magnetometer, solar wind plasma sensor (SWiPS), and a supra-thermal ion sensor (STIS). These instruments will provide vital measurements of solar wind speed, density, and magnetic field characteristics that drive space weather disturbances. Previous early data from these sensors have already contributed to improved monitoring of solar wind and geomagnetic conditions during space weather events.

Once commissioned in spring 2026, SOLAR-1’s data is expected to significantly enhance NOAA’s ability to forecast and issue warnings for geomagnetic storms, solar flares, and interplanetary shocks that can impact critical infrastructure such as power grids, communications, navigation systems, and satellites.

With more accurate and timely space weather data, NOAA officials say the mission will help protect both space-based and ground-based technological systems that are increasingly vulnerable to solar activity—ensuring better preparedness for potentially disruptive solar events.