NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission, scheduled for launch in 2024, will feature UK-built space technology. The IMAP mission aims to study the heliosphere – the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the sun – and the interstellar boundary which protects Earth from dangerous cosmic radiation.
The British technology to be used in the mission is a Next-Generation Solar Wind Analyser (NGSWA), which will be built by a consortium led by UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory. This consortium includes Imperial College London and the Science and Technology Facilities Council RAL Space. The NGSWA will measure the speed, temperature, and density of the solar wind, a stream of charged particles released from the sun’s surface.
The NGSWA is a set of three instruments that will observe and measure the solar wind coming from the sun, providing valuable data that could help scientists understand the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field. This study is crucial to predict space weather, which can affect satellite-based technologies such as GPS, satellite TV, and the electricity grid.
The UK Space Agency is providing £3 million in funding for the development of the NGSWA. This support is part of the UK government’s larger strategy to make the country a global leader in space science. The UK government aspires to grow its space sector and plans to capture 10% of the global space market by 2030.
The UK’s involvement in this mission not only contributes to the country’s space sector but also strengthens the UK’s international collaborations in science and technology. The IMAP mission is an international effort involving scientists from across the globe, including the US, the UK, and other European countries.
The IMAP mission is one of the many international collaborations that the UK Space Agency is participating in. It underscores the UK’s commitment to advancing space science, technology, and exploration, and its contribution to understanding the universe. The mission’s findings will not only benefit the UK but also the global scientific community.
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