NASA to launch rockets into auroras to study electric currents
What's the story
NASA is preparing to launch two sounding rockets into the Northern Lights, or auroras, over Alaska. The mission will be conducted from Poker Flat Research Range and aims to map hidden electric currents in these stunning light displays. The data collected will help scientists better understand space weather and protect satellites, GPS systems, and global communication networks from potential disruptions.
Rocket details
Rockets will be equipped with plasma sensors and radio transmitters
The mission will use sounding rockets, small research vehicles designed for short scientific flights. These rockets can reach the upper atmosphere in minutes and carry lightweight scientific instruments. For this particular mission, the rockets will be equipped with plasma sensors and radio transmitters/receivers to measure electric fields and particle motion within the auroras.
Aurora behavior
Auroras are massive electrical circuits linking space and upper atmosphere
Auroras are caused by charged particles from the Sun colliding with gasses in Earth's atmosphere, creating colorful light displays. However, scientists have discovered these phenomena also act as massive electrical circuits linking space and upper atmosphere. Each rocket will deploy eight small sensors into the aurora to send radio signals through plasma, an electrically charged gas in space. This data will help map electric currents and create a 3D electrical picture of the aurora, similar to a human CT scan.
Research goals
Scientists aim to understand aurora's changing shapes and patterns
The scientists behind this mission are hoping to track electron movement, measure current strength and direction, and study the energy transfer processes. They also want to understand why auroras change shape or appear as curtains or spirals. These patterns could potentially reveal the hidden electric flows within the auroras themselves.