Nextage Employees Turn Mission Operations Excellence into Prestigious NESDIS Award Win
Nextage is thrilled to congratulate our team members on receiving the 2025 NESDIS Outstanding Mission Operations Team Member Award. The team earned this honorable recognition through their dedicated support of the joint NASA and NOAA Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) mission, which provides continuous space weather detection to defend critical infrastructure and national security.
This list calls out the individual team members that were recognized. Join us in celebrating their accomplishment!
Image credit: Heidi Rowe
About the Mission
After launching on September 24, 2025 and traveling thousands of miles toward the sun, the SWFO-L1 spacecraft has reached its final destination at its target Lagrange point. These special points are physical locations found near two-body systems–like the Earth and Sun system–where the gravitational pull of two large bodies combined with the centripetal force creates a gravitational equilibrium where a smaller object is influenced to orbit with the planetary bodies.
The interactions of various forces at Lagrange points allow satellites to maintain a stable position relative to Earth, while continuing to orbit the Sun.
In this state, the satellite moves along with Earth around the Sun, like a cyclist riding in perfect formation with a team–constantly moving, but holding the same relative position. There are 5 Lagrange points located in the Earth-Sun system, and this spacecraft targeted Lagrange point 1 (L1) which allows for constant, unobstructed monitoring of the sun and the space weather it creates.
Nextage Team Members Make it Possible
SWFO-L1 MOST Lead Perry Baltimore IV in NSOF Launch Control Room (LCR)
Team members gather in the NSOF Launch Control Room (LCR).
For the last 12 years, Nextage has supported missions around the world with our trusted engineering services. It is thanks to our dedicated team members and their unique skillsets that we are able to provide customers with the specific engineering services they need–at an award-winning level.
We are incredibly proud to have such sharp engineers onboard, and that NESDIS has taken the time to recognize their outstanding work. The Nextage team has been instrumental in ensuring the spacecraft remains healthy, follows instructions, and stays in tip-top shape prior to the launch. Join us in celebrating this incredible accomplishment!
What’s Next?
Now that the spacecraft has reached Lagrange point 1 nearly one million miles away from Earth, SWFO-L1 has earned a new name: Space Weather Observations at L1 to Advance Readiness, or 1SOLAR-1. The change denotes the new location and role the spacecraft will play in providing continuous space weather defense. 1SOLAR-1 operations are expected to begin in Spring 2026.
Stay Connected and Learn More
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Access the 10th anniversary NOAA Science Report: https://sciencecouncil.noaa.gov/council-products/noaa-science-report/
Learn five ways NOAA scientists helped improve human and marine life in 2025: https://research.noaa.gov/five-ways-noaa-scientists-helped-improve-human-and-marine-life-in-2025/