meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Technology Today

Episode 76: PUNCH: Imaging the Solar Wind

Technology Today

Southwest Research Institute

Technology

4.819 Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Launch is approaching for NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere or PUNCH mission, led by SwRI. Four suitcase-sized satellites equipped with special instruments are setting out to capture the first images of the solar wind, the stream of charged particles that flows out from the Sun’s corona. PUNCH will examine the solar wind in low-Earth orbit, protected by our planet’s magnetosphere. The mission is exploring space weather and its impact on Earth, including how it affects power grids, satellites and astronauts. Listen now as Dr. Craig DeForest, SwRI space scientist, heliophysics expert and PUNCH principal investigator, discusses the mission’s upcoming launch, how PUNCH will make the invisible solar wind visible for the first time and his inspiration to study the Sun, the star that powers our planet.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Punch prepares for launch. NASA's polarimeter to unify the corona and heliosphere mission will capture images of the sun's corona transitioning to the solar wind, making this invisible system visible for the first time.

0:16.2

Mission principal investigator Dr. Craig DeForest discusses what punch will uncover about the heliosphere, space weather, and its impact on Earth.

0:25.3

That's next on this episode of Technology Today.

0:31.6

We live with technology, science, engineering, and the results of innovative research every day.

0:39.0

Now, let's understand it better.

0:44.2

You're listening to the Technology Today podcast presented by Southwest Research Institute.

0:50.7

From deep sea to deep space, we develop solutions to benefit humankind. Transcript and photos for this episode and all episodes are available at podcast.swri.org.

0:56.3

Share the podcast and hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform.

1:01.0

Hello and welcome to technology today. I'm Lisa Benia.

1:04.4

NASA's polarimeter to unify the corona and heliosphere or punch mission will achieve a first imaging the solar wind as it

1:13.9

streams out of the sun. Four suitcase-sized satellites equipped with special instruments and

1:20.1

designed and built by SWRI will produce the first 3D images of the inner heliosphere, shedding light on the sun, solar, wind, Earth

1:30.0

system. How will punch instruments make the invisible visible? What will we learn from this

1:36.1

groundbreaking mission? Punch Principal Investigator Dr. Craig DeForest of SWRI's Solar System Science

1:43.5

and Exploration Division joins us for a pre-launch discussion.

1:48.1

He's here at SWRI San Antonio headquarters for one day from Boulder, Colorado.

1:53.9

So thank you so much for being here during this especially busy time, Craig, and spending time with us on your one day in town.

2:01.3

Thank you for having me down. It's wonderful to be here.

2:04.0

So we'll get to your preparations for launch day, a huge day coming up, and we'll talk about that in just a bit.

2:10.2

But first, punch is set to explore the inner heliosphere and uncover never before seen images and data. So let's get into it. I want to start with

2:20.4

understanding some of the terminology associated with the mission. So during this conversation,

2:25.6

we'll be talking about the corona, heliosphere, the solar wind. So will you define these

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Southwest Research Institute, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Southwest Research Institute and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.