The PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, led by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), has released its initial images, offering unprecedented views of the sun's outer atmosphere and the solar wind. Launched on March 11, 2025, the mission's four spacecraft are designed to track the solar wind and space weather in 3D.
Early data from the spacecraft constellation reveals coronal mass ejections (CMEs) as they traverse the inner solar system. These images provide a comprehensive understanding of space weather, which can disrupt communications and endanger satellites. The Wide Field Imagers aboard three of the PUNCH spacecraft captured high-resolution images of CMEs, while the Narrow Field Imager, aboard the fourth spacecraft, allows scientists to see the details of the sun's atmosphere by blocking the sun's bright face.
PUNCH aims to make global observations of the sun's outer atmosphere and inner solar system. The mission will help scientists better predict events from the sun, such as solar flares and CMEs. The mission is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.