The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), a NASA mission led by Princeton University, has officially started its science operations. The milestone was celebrated at Princeton with a panel discussion featuring IMAP leaders, scientific presentations, and a reception hosted by the Center on Science and Technology.
Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber welcomed attendees in a video message, highlighting the project’s broad collaboration: “IMAP is a multi-institutional effort that spans 82 U.S. partners in 35 states, plus partners in the United Kingdom, Poland, Switzerland, Germany and Japan,” he said. He added that it “exemplifies what a successful partnership between government, industry and higher education can achieve.”
IMAP launched from Cape Canaveral on September 24 and is now en route to Lagrange Point 1 (L1), about one million miles from Earth between the planet and the Sun. From this location, IMAP will orbit in sync with Earth’s path around the Sun while maintaining its position toward the Sun.
“From L1,” Eisgruber stated, “it will investigate the outermost boundary of the heliosphere — the cosmic shield that protects our solar system from harmful cosmic radiation — and will play a central role in advancing heliophysics and space weather prediction for the next era of space exploration.”
Dean for Research Peter Schiffer moderated a panel including David McComas, principal investigator of IMAP and professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton; Jamie Rankin and Jamey Szalay, both research scholars in astrophysics at Princeton; as well as Joe Westlake, director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division.
Schiffer pointed out that SWAPI — an instrument aboard IMAP designed to study solar wind — was constructed at Princeton’s Space Physics Laboratory. He asked McComas how building such hardware aligns with educational goals.
“This is one of my favorite parts, because the whole time we were building these flight instruments and calibrating these flight instruments, we were also teaching,” McComas explained. “Jamie Rankin and I teach a class together in the space lab … where we integrate the teaching experience for the students who really want to get their hands on some flight hardware.”
When asked what excites him most about IMAP’s data collection efforts, Westlake replied: “I’m in it for the discovery. This IMAP data is going to really revolutionize how we understand our home in space.” He emphasized IMAP’s importance for human missions such as Artemis II: “We’re sending astronauts around the Moon for the first time in many, many years with Artemis II, and IMAP data is going to help protect those astronauts.”
Clips from an upcoming documentary about IMAP were shown during breaks in discussion. In one segment McComas remarked: “I really am happiest when I’ve learned something new every day… something truly new, a new piece of knowledge for humanity.”
McComas announced all ten scientific instruments onboard are operational: “All 13 heads of the 10 instruments have successfully turned on and begun collecting data,” which was met with applause.
Five instruments focused on monitoring solar wind provide real-time alerts to Earth about incoming solar events like flares or coronal mass ejections; all send comprehensive science data back every few days. According to McComas, initial results include expected findings along with unanticipated discoveries yet to be analyzed.
Rankin leads SWAPI—the Solar Wind and Pickup Ion instrument—which measures charged particles emitted by both solar wind and from near-edge regions of our heliosphere far beyond Earth’s orbit. She described activating SWAPI as “the real moment of truth,” noting it began returning scientific measurements quickly after activation.
“A couple days later, some large space weather activity passed by, and it was incredible,” she said regarding early results from SWAPI. She noted its performance exceeded expectations by an order of magnitude.
Szalay discussed his work leading development of CAVA (Combined Access Visualization & Analysis Tool), which allows scientists easy access to analyze integrated datasets across all ten instruments without special technical skills—a step toward more collaborative research efforts among investigators.
He also addressed questions about IDEX (Interstellar Dust Experiment): “Cosmic dust is not like the stuff we vacuum. Cosmic dust is shooting stars… It tells us about our interaction with our local galactic environment… if it’s going to rain rocks maybe astronauts shouldn’t be outside.”
Michael Strauss—chairman of Astrophysical Sciences—praised McComas’ leadership building both Princeton’s Space Physics Program and laboratory facilities over ten years starting “with nothing” during COVID-19 pandemic disruptions: “Now he’s built up something truly audacious… mapping solar wind [and] having such an amazing impact.”
Before/after panels undergraduate researchers presented projects developed through participation in Princeton’s Space Physics Program; many are expected become junior papers or senior theses.
