# Carruthers Geocorona Observatory

> NASA Earth exosphere observation satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q115588701](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115588701)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carruthers_Geocorona_Observatory)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/carruthers-geocorona-observatory

## Summary

The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is located in the United States [1].

## Summary
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is a NASA Earth exosphere observation satellite designed to study Earth's upper atmosphere from space. Scheduled for launch on September 24, 2025, it will be operated by the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign.

## Key Facts
- Scheduled launch date: September 24, 2025 at 11:30:50
- Mass: 241 kilograms
- Launch vehicle: Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1096)
- Location: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A
- Operator: University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
- Mission location: L1 Earth-Sun Lagrangian point
- Part of: Solar Terrestrial Probes program (MoO 1A)
- COSPAR ID: 2025-215C
- Funder: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Manufacturer: Ball Aerospace & Technologies

## FAQs
### Q: What is the primary purpose of the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory?
A: The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is designed to observe and study Earth's exosphere, which is the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere. It will focus on understanding the Global Lyman-alpha Imager of the Dynamic Exosphere (GLIDE).

### Q: When and how will the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory be launched?
A: The observatory is scheduled for launch on September 24, 2025, at 11:30:50 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket (B1096).

### Q: Which organization is responsible for operating the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory?
A: The University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign will operate the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory after its launch.

### Q: How does the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory relate to other NASA missions?
A: It is part of the Solar Terrestrial Probes program (MoO 1A) and follows the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe. It will be positioned at the L1 Earth-Sun Lagrangian point, similar to other solar observation missions.

### Q: What is the unique identifier for the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory?
A: The observatory's COSPAR ID is 2025-215C, and it is also known by the aliases Global Lyman-alpha Imager of the Dynamic Exosphere (GLIDE) and STP MoO 1A.

## Why It Matters
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory represents NASA's continued commitment to studying Earth's upper atmosphere and its interaction with space. By observing the exosphere from the L1 Earth-Sun Lagrangian point, it will provide unique data about how Earth's outermost atmospheric layer responds to solar radiation and space weather. This research is crucial for understanding space weather impacts on satellites and communications systems, as well as advancing our knowledge of atmospheric escape processes that affect long-term planetary evolution. The observatory's Global Lyman-alpha Imager will specifically focus on hydrogen in the exosphere, helping scientists better model atmospheric dynamics and improve space weather prediction capabilities.

## Notable For
- Part of NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program with the specific designation MoO 1A
- Will be positioned at the L1 Earth-Sun Lagrangian point for optimal observation of Earth's exosphere
- Features the Global Lyman-alpha Imager (GLIDE) technology for specialized atmospheric observation
- Scheduled launch in September 2025 makes it one of the most recently planned Earth observation satellites
- Operated by academic institution (University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign) rather than a NASA center

## Body
### Mission Overview
The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory is a NASA Earth exosphere observation satellite with the COSPAR ID 2025-215C. It is also known by the aliases Global Lyman-alpha Imager of the Dynamic Exosphere (GLIDE) and STP MoO 1A. The observatory is scheduled for launch on September 24, 2025, at 11:30:50 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.

### Technical Specifications
- Mass: 241 kilograms
- Manufacturer: Ball Aerospace & Technologies
- Launch vehicle: Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1096)
- Launch contractor: SpaceX
- Destination: L1 Earth-Sun Lagrangian point
- Program affiliation: Solar Terrestrial Probes program (MoO 1A)

### Operational Details
- Operator: University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
- Funder: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Official blog: https://blogs.nasa.gov/carruthersgeocoronaobservatory/
- Follows: Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe

### International Classification
- Instance of: Earth observation satellite
- Country of origin: United States
- Wikipedia languages: English, French
- Wikimedia Commons category: Carruthers Geocorona Observatory

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Carruthers Geocorona Observatory",
  "description": "NASA Earth exosphere observation satellite",
  "url": "https://blogs.nasa.gov/carruthersgeocoronaobservatory/",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65727", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carruthers_Geocorona_Observatory"],
  "additionalType": "Earth observation satellite"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/glide.htm)
2. [Source](https://blogs.nasa.gov/carruthersgeocoronaobservatory/2022/02/04/glide-one-step-closer-to-exosphere/)
3. Jonathan's Space Report
4. [Source](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-launch-services-contract-for-imap-mission)