NASA has rescheduled the launch of five suborbital sounding rockets from the Wallops Facility in Virginia as part of a study of the upper level jet stream to midnight to 3 a.m., March 22.
This morning’s launch attempt was postponed because of poor weather conditions. A significant criteria for launch to proceed is clear skies not only at Wallops but also at viewing sites in New Jersey and North Carolina. Low clouds at the launch site and in New Jersey prevented this morning’s attempt.
The Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment (ATREX) will gather information needed to better understand the process responsible for the high-altitude jet stream located 60 to 65 miles above the surface of the Earth.
As part the mission, the five rockets will release a chemical tracer that will form milky, white clouds that allow scientists and the public to “see” the winds in space. These clouds may be visible for up to 20 minutes by residents from South Carolina to southern New Hampshire and Vermont.
More information on the ATREX mission is available on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/missions/atrex.html
