Understanding NASA's IMAP Mission: How the Heliosphere Protects Earth from Cosmic Radiation

Sep 25, 2025 04:00 pm CST

NASA launched the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) to study the heliosphere, the Sun's protective bubble shielding our solar system from harmful radiation. Positioned at the Earth-Sun Lagrange point, IMAP's 10 specialized instruments will provide real-time space weather observations, helping scientists understand how our solar system interacts with the galaxy while protecting astronauts and Earth-based technology.