NASA Launches Ambitious Rocket Experiment to Study Aurora’s Impact on Earth’s Atmosphere
In an innovative experiment aiming to transform our understanding of auroral substorms, three rockets, funded by NASA, are set to launch from the Poker Flat Research Range in Fairbanks, Alaska. This mission is designed to investigate how these substorms influence the behavior and composition of Earth’s far upper atmosphere. The findings from this experiment could challenge long-standing theories about the aurora’s interaction with the thermosphere, and potentially enhance space weather forecasting—a critical advancement given our increasing reliance on satellite-based technologies like GPS in everyday life.
Understanding the Poker Flat Research Range
The Poker Flat Research Range, situated 20 miles north of Fairbanks, is managed by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute. It operates under a contract with NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, which is part of the broader NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This partnership underscores the collaborative nature of space research, pooling expertise and resources from different institutions to tackle complex scientific questions.
The AWESOME Mission: A Closer Look
Titled “Auroral Waves Excited by Substorm Onset Magnetic Events” or AWESOME, this mission is set to deploy one four-stage rocket alongside two two-stage rockets within a three-hour timeframe. The colorful vapor tracers released by the largest of the rockets are expected to be visible across much of northern Alaska, providing a unique spectacle for residents and scientists alike. The launch window for this mission is slated between March 24 and April 6.
Leading the mission is Mark Conde, a space physics professor at UAF. He is joined by approximately a dozen graduate student researchers from UAF, who will be stationed at various ground monitoring sites across Alaska, including Utqiagvik, Kaktovik, Toolik Lake, Eagle, and Venetie, as well as Poker Flat itself. NASA is responsible for the delivery, assembly, testing, and launch of the rockets.
The Science Behind the Mission
The primary scientific inquiry of the AWESOME mission is to determine how much of the heat generated by auroral substorms is used to transport air upward in a continuous convective plume, and how much results in both vertical and horizontal oscillations within the atmosphere. Understanding which process dominates will illuminate the extent of atmospheric mixing and the consequent alterations in the thin air’s characteristics.
“Changes in the composition of the atmosphere have significant consequences,” Conde notes. “Understanding the scope of these consequences is essential for both science and practical applications.”
In the thermosphere, which stretches from about 50 to 350 miles above the Earth’s surface, scientists describe it as “convectively stable.” This means there is minimal vertical air movement because the warmer air, having absorbed solar radiation, remains at the top. However, when auroral substorms inject energy and momentum into the middle and lower thermosphere (approximately 60 to 125 miles up), this stability is disrupted.
A prevailing theory suggests that the heat from these substorms is responsible for the vertical-motion churn in the thermosphere. However, Conde proposes an alternative hypothesis—that acoustic-buoyancy waves are the primary mixing force, with vertical convection playing a lesser role. These waves, traveling both vertically and horizontally from the point of auroral impact, could mean that the atmospheric changes induced by the aurora occur over a much broader area than is currently assumed.
Practical Implications of the AWESOME Mission
The practical goal of the AWESOME mission is to improve the prediction of space weather impacts. “I believe our experiment will lead to a simpler and more accurate method of space weather prediction,” Conde states confidently.
To achieve this, the mission will deploy two Terrier-Improved Malemute rockets—each 42 feet long—approximately 15 minutes and one hour after an auroral substorm begins. Following these, a 70-foot Black Brant XII rocket will launch around five minutes after the second rocket. The first two rockets will release tracers at altitudes of 50 and 110 miles to detect wind movement and wave oscillations, while the third rocket will release tracers at five different altitudes ranging from 68 to 155 miles.
The resulting pink, blue, and white vapor traces will be visible for 10 to 20 minutes after the launch of the third rocket. These launches are timed to occur during dawn, ensuring that sunlight reaches the upper altitudes to activate the vapor tracers from the first rocket, while the ground remains dark to allow ground cameras to capture the tracers’ response to air movement.
Conclusion: A New Chapter in Space Weather Research
The AWESOME mission represents a significant step forward in our understanding of space weather and its effects on Earth’s atmosphere. By potentially challenging existing theories and improving our ability to forecast space weather events, this research could have widespread implications for technology and navigation systems that depend on satellite signals.
As we await the outcome of this groundbreaking experiment, it is clear that the collaboration between NASA, UAF, and the dedicated team of researchers is paving the way for new discoveries in the field of space physics. The insights gained from this mission could redefine our approach to studying the aurora and its impact on the thermosphere, ultimately contributing to the advancement of science and technology in our increasingly interconnected world.
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