NASA's IMAP mission launched alongside two other space weather missions, aiming to enhance our understanding of the heliosphere, a protective bubble surrounding our solar system. IMAP will create a high-resolution map of the heliosphere's boundaries, improving space weather predictions. This is crucial for protecting astronauts, satellites, and Earth's infrastructure from solar storms. The mission utilizes energetic neutral atoms to trace the heliosphere's boundaries, complementing data from Voyager probes and IBEX. The accompanying missions focus on observing Earth's exosphere and providing early solar storm warnings.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.