Over the next two weeks, NASA is preparing to launch the TOMEX+ mission, using rockets to study vortex processes in the transition zone between Earth's atmosphere and outer space.
The launch of the three probes is scheduled no earlier than Saturday, with the launch window ending Sept. 3, the agency said Wednesday. The delays are due to adverse sea conditions in the landing zone following Hurricane Erin.
Specialized rockets are capable of reaching the mesopause, a region of the atmosphere inaccessible to standard weather balloons and located below the orbits of most satellites.
The mesosphere, known as the coldest layer of the atmosphere, serves as a zone where planetary weather patterns transfer energy into space, creating turbulent flows that can impact orbiting spacecraft.
Three rockets will be used for the experiments: the first two will be launched at one-minute intervals, releasing smoke markers to visualize air flows in the mesosphere from ground observation posts.
The third spacecraft is equipped with a lidar system that emits pulses of light to detect sodium particles in the upper atmosphere. These elements are present in microscopic cosmic dust particles that penetrate the atmosphere.
Lidar technology will allow researchers to track changes in the density of the mesosphere and its dynamics in real time.
“The combined use of the TOMEX+ instruments will provide the most detailed three-dimensional model of space turbulence, deepening our understanding of high-altitude cloud formation, impacts on satellites, and atmospheric phenomena on other planets,” NASA said in a blog post about the mission.
The rockets will launch from the Wallops Spaceport in Virginia. The project is being supervised by University of New Hampshire physics and astronomy professor Jim Clemmons.
Sourse: www.upi.com
