Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
On August 21, 2025, experts from NOAA, NASA, BAE Systems, academia and industry held a virtual media briefing to preview the upcoming mission of NOAA's Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory. SWFO-L1 will be NOAA's first satellite observatory designed specifically for – and fully dedicated to – continuous, operational space weather observations.
Space weather can severely affect our nation's power grid, communication systems, aviation industry and agricultural sector. SWFO-L1 will monitor solar eruptions and serve as an early warning beacon for hazardous space weather events that could profoundly impact our technology-dependent infrastructure and industries.
The satellite observatory is scheduled to lift off no earlier than September 23, 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once in orbit, SWFO-L1 will be positioned toward the sun at Lagrange point 1, which is approximately one million miles away from the Earth.
Participants (in order of presentation):
Irene Parker, performing the duties of the assistant administrator, NOAA Satellites
Richard Ullman, deputy director, NOAA Office of Space Weather Observations
Dimitris Vassiliadis, Ph.D., program scientist, NOAA Space Weather Follow On Program
Shawn Dahl, forecaster, Space Weather Prediction Center, NOAA’s National Weather Service
Jim Morrissey, project manager, NASA SWFO-L1 Flight Project
Jim Masciarelli, project manager, SWFO-L1, BAE Systems
Edward Oughton, Ph.D., assistant professor, George Mason University
John Dudley, Captain, managing director, American Airlines
Terry Griffin, Ph.D., professor, Kansas State University
On August 21, 2025, experts from NOAA, NASA, BAE Systems, academia and industry held a virtual media briefing to preview the upcoming mission of NOAA's Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory. SWFO-L1 will be NOAA's first satellite observatory designed specifically for – and fully dedicated to – continuous, operational space weather observations.
Space weather can severely affect our nation's power grid, communication systems, aviation industry and agricultural sector. SWFO-L1 will monitor solar eruptions and serve as an early warning beacon for hazardous space weather events that could profoundly impact our technology-dependent infrastructure and industries.
The satellite observatory is scheduled to lift off no earlier than September 23, 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once in orbit, SWFO-L1 will be positioned toward the sun at Lagrange point 1, which is approximately one million miles away from the Earth.
Participants (in order of presentation):
Irene Parker, performing the duties of the assistant administrator, NOAA Satellites
Richard Ullman, deputy director, NOAA Office of Space Weather Observations
Dimitris Vassiliadis, Ph.D., program scientist, NOAA Space Weather Follow On Program
Shawn Dahl, forecaster, Space Weather Prediction Center, NOAA’s National Weather Service
Jim Morrissey, project manager, NASA SWFO-L1 Flight Project
Jim Masciarelli, project manager, SWFO-L1, BAE Systems
Edward Oughton, Ph.D., assistant professor, George Mason University
John Dudley, Captain, managing director, American Airlines
Terry Griffin, Ph.D., professor, Kansas State University
