Coronal Mass Ejection (IMAGE) Southwest Research Institute Caption SwRI is developing the solar wind plasma sensor (SWiPS) for the SWFO-L1 space weather satellite, which will orbit the Sun at approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. It will provide early warning measurements of the Sun's impact on the geomagnetic environment of the Earth. SWiPS will measure how the solar wind plasma affects processes that transfer energy and particles into the Earth's magnetosphere, often initiating geomagnetic storms. Credit Steele Hill/NASA Usage Restrictions Images/videos may be used by the media and the public for educational and informational purposes only License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.