The Space Weather Follow-On (SWFO) program was designed to ensure continuity of critical space-based measurements of the solar corona and interplanetary medium. It supports NOAA’s mission to monitor Space Weather and to provide timely and accurate warnings to help our nation prepare for and minimize potential impacts to the economy and human health.
Contact ncei.info@noaa.gov with questions about the data, or review the contact info in the relevant readme files.
How can I access SWFO data?
NESDIS Space Weather (SPOT) portal to browse, download, and plot SWFO data. The tabs on this page will be updated with links to data and documentation for each product.
NESDIS Space Weather Portal
Use the NESDIS Space Weather Portal (SPOT) to visualize, download, search, and compare NCEI space weather datasets. SPOT is cloud-based NOAA web portal and API for space weather satellite data.
Which satellites are carrying SWFO instruments, and what will they measure?
The SWFO instruments are hosted on the SOLAR-1 and GOES-19 satellites. These instruments provide real-time measurements of solar wind plasma, supra-thermal ions and magnetic fields at the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in the Sun-Earth line, and remote observations of the solar corona at L1 and geostationary orbit (GEO).
When were Solar-1 and GOES-19 launched?
The GOES-19 satellite (original called GOES-U) was launched on June 25th, 2024. SOLAR-1, which will be called SWFO-L1 after it arrives at the L1 lagrangian point, launched on September 24th, 2025. See the SWFO Programmatic Documents for more information.
Where are Solar-1 and GOES-19 located?
Approximate orbit distances from Earth’s surface are:
- L1: 1,500,000 km
- GEO: 36,000 km
| SWFO Instrument | Brief description of the observation | Host Satellite (Orbit) |
|---|---|---|
| CCOR-1 Compact Coronagraph |
Coronal White Light Images
|
GOES-19 (GEO) |
| CCOR-2 Compact Coronagraph |
Coronal White Light Images
|
SOLAR-1 (L1) |
| MAG Magnetometer |
Vector Magnetic Field Two triaxial fluxgate magnetometers mounted on a boom (~ 5m and ~ 6.6m from the spacecraft)
|
SOLAR-1 (L1) |
| STIS SupraThermal Ion Sensor |
Suprathermal Ion and Electron Fluxes Two solid state telescopes, one primarily measuring ion fluxes and the other primarily measuring electron fluxes.
|
SOLAR-1 (L1) |
| SWiPS Solar Wind Plasma Sensor |
Solar Wind Thermal Plasma IonVelocity, Density and Temperature Two identical top-hat Electrostatic Analyzers (ESA)
|
SOLAR-1 (L1) |
What is the CCOR-1 instrument, and what does it measure?
The Compact Coronagraph CCOR-1 is NOAA’s first operational, space based coronagraph to support space weather forecasting provided by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). It is onboard NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 19 (GOES-19), launched on June 25, 2024.
CCOR-1 creates images of the solar corona (from 3.7 to 17 solar radii, with spatial resolution of about 50 arcseconds) in the visible wavelength range (480 nm to 730 nm) with a latency of 15 min from the geostationary orbit.
The first imagery from CCOR-1 was released in Oct 2024, and provisional CCOR-1 data products were released on February 24, 2025.
More Information
How do I access CCOR-1 Data?
Use the NESDIS Space Weather Portal (SPOT) to access data files, plots, metadata, and other information about CCOR-1.
See the dropdown sections below for links to specific CCOR-1 products in SPOT.
Scientific data levels are described in Table 4 of the Product Readme.
Operational data levels are described in Table 2 of the Product Readme.
The Compact Coronagraph CCOR-2 will be onboard NOAA’s SOLAR-1 satellite, planned for launch in the Fall of 2025.
What is the MAG instrument, and what does it measure?
The SOLAR-1 Magnetometer (MAG) monitors the interplanetary magnetic field for changes from interplanetary shocks, coronal mass ejections, corotating interaction regions or high speed solar wind.
These solar wind structures can cause geomagnetic storms that can damage power grids, satellites, and other technical infrastructure.
How do I access MAG Data?
Use the NESDIS Space Weather Portal (SPOT) to access data files, plots, metadata, and other information about MAG products.
See the dropdown sections below for links to specific MAG products in SPOT.
Scientific data levels are described in the MAG Product Readme.
Operational data levels are described in the MAG Product Readme.
The Suprathermal Ion Sensor STIS will be onboard NOAA’s SOLAR-1 satellite, planned for launch in the Fall of 2025.
The Solar Wind Plasma Sensor will be onboard NOAA’s SOLAR-1 satellite, planned for launch in the Fall of 2025.