PUNCH News & Nuggets

The first PUNCH Science Team meeting was held virtually June 3-5, 2020. 44 team members and colleagues attended, sharing information about the mission, instruments, science goals, and planned data products. We also learned about STEAM, our student enhancement option, and plans for PUNCH Outreach. The Outreach presentation included a member of the Hopi tribe who read aloud his letter of support for our envisioned plan. There are many Science Team members who are experienced and interested in contributing to Outreach and Communications for PUNCH.

On April 8, 2020, the Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission achieved an important milestone, passing NASA's critical System Requirements Review/Mission Definition Review (SRR/MDR). Southwest Research Institute is leading PUNCH, a NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) mission that will integrate understanding of the Sun's corona, the outer atmosphere visible during eclipses, with the tenuous "solar wind" filling the solar system.

The Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission has entered Phase B, which marks the transition from concept study to preliminary flight design. The mission, led by Southwest Research Institute, is set to launch in early 2023 and will image the Sun’s outer corona and beyond.