Paper 14145-86
Paper 14145-86
Overview and status of the Space-weather Solar Coronagraph (SwSCOR) instruments
10 July 2026 • 09:00 - 09:20 CEST | Room B4-M3
Abstract
The Space-weather Solar Coronagraph (SwSCOR) instruments are in development to provide the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space weather Observations at Lagrange 1 (L1) for Advanced Readiness (SOLAR) program with continuity and resilience of solar wind data and coronal mass ejection (CME) imagery. The SwSCOR project, led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), consists of a coronagraph instrument and a set of ground processing algorithms designed to produce space weather imagery. The instrument is a single-stage, externally occulted coronagraph and the camera and electronics are adapted and tailored for the SwSCOR project from versions already developed for NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) Small Explorer mission. SwSCOR is intended to deliver real-time, forecast-quality images of the solar K corona (sunlight scattered by free electrons near the Sun), allowing forecasters to characterize and track space weather as it leaves the Sun.
Presenter
Southwest Research Institute (United States)
Dr. Kevin Sacca is a Senior Research Engineer with Southwest Research Institute and is the deputy instrument systems engineer for the SwSCOR project. He graduated from University of Colorado Boulder in December 2025 with his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences. His contributions to SwSCOR include supporting optical system design, optical performance modeling, and stray light analysis.