NASA’s latest space weather mission, PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere), has officially gone online, marking a major leap forward in our ability to monitor and predict solar activity.

It’s launch day for four astronauts who will soon be on their way to the International Space Station. The otherwise routine flight will be closely watched because it kicks off a series of events culminating in NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore’s long-awaited trip back to Earth.

NASA’s PUNCH mission has officially come online, promising to transform our understanding of space weather. By capturing global, 3D views of the Sun’s corona, PUNCH will reveal how solar wind and explosive solar events evolve and impact our planet.