The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said a satellite that will make the first map of the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space will be launched in 2008 as part of the agency’s Small Explorer program.

The satellite, dubbed the Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission (IBEX), contains two neutral atom imagers designed to detect particles form the termination shock at the boundary between the Solar System and interstellar space. The shock front is formed as the solar wind from the sun flows out beyond Pluto and collides with the material between the stars. IBEX also will study galactic cosmic rays.

The satellite will reside in a highly elliptical orbit that takes it beyond the interference of Earth’s magnetosphere. The satellite is estimated to cost $134 million.