ORLANDO, Fla. – On Tuesday, NASA and NOAA are launching a powerful new tool called the SWFO-L1 satellite, which stands for “Space Weather Follow-On at Lagrange Point 1,″ to help us better understand and prepare for space weather.

This satellite will play a critical role in detecting solar storms before they reach Earth, giving scientists, satellite operators and power grid managers more time to respond to potential disruptions. The SWFO-L1 observatory is shown fully assembled at BAE's facility in Boulder, CO. The spacecraft's solar panel is facing up and the instruments are visible in the front part of the assembly. [Credit: BAE Space & Mission Systems] (© BAE SYSTEMS)

Why do we care about solar storms?

Space weather is driven by activity on the Sun, like solar flares and coronal

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