The IBEX launch, which we previewed here at Gizmodo last Monday, went off without a hitch today. The ottoman-sized probe was strapped to a rocket that was strapped to the belly of an aeroplane, which carried it to 40,000 feet. From there, the rocket fired up and took IBEX to an orbit about 320,000km up. Fun! But it gets worse. Much worse. I hope everyone has their lead-lined fallout suits at the ready, because things could get a bit freaky in a few decades.
On October 19, NASA will launch the IBEX, or Interstellar Boundary Explorer, into a 210km earth orbit to begin mapping the very edge of our solar system. This region of space, also known by the kick arse scientific name “termination shock,” is rife with mystery. Only the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft have ventured there, but they weren’t armed with the right kind of tech to adequately catalog what’s going on at the point where our solar system meets outer space. IBEX is, and from its orbit around our planet it will beam back some of the first detailed measurements of the region.
