Third 2026 mission launches from Poker Flat Research Range

A tandem of NASA sounding rockets blasted off from Poker Flat Research Range at about 1:30 a.m. right now on a mission to raised perceive how modifications within the ionosphere affect the aurora’s look.

Two rockets have been launched 30 seconds aside to assemble data from totally different factors. The experiment is led by Dartmouth College physics and astronomy professor Kristina Lynch.

The launches marked the third profitable mission and fourth rocket launched for Poker Flat in 12 days, a a lot tighter schedule than in earlier years.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute owns Poker Flat, situated at Mile 30 Steese Highway, and operates it beneath a contract with Wallops Flight Facility, which is a part of  NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

The Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science experiment that launched right now research how the higher environment behaves when sudden bursts of power, usually linked to the aurora, disturb the ionosphere and push it out of its normal steadiness.

The aurora is the seen indicator of the plasma physics that GNEISS is measuring.

Each rocket carried a major payload of devices to gather information in regards to the ionosphere’s electrical, magnetic and particle surroundings. They every additionally carried 4 small sub-payloads that have been ejected to assemble information from different factors within the trajectory. Ground stations at a number of websites throughout central and northern Alaska photographed the experiment.

The rockets additionally carried beacons that relayed extra indicators to 11 floor receivers constructed by Lynch’s college students to find out the ionosphere’s density.

The first of this season’s three missions launched Jan. 30.

The Polar Night Nitric Oxide, or PolarNOx, mission sought to be taught extra about aurora-produced nitric oxide within the higher environment. Nitric oxide, a fuel, can journey to decrease atmospheric ranges, the place it might probably injury Earth’s protecting ozone layer.

That mission is led by engineering professor Scott Bailey of Virginia Tech and is a part of an extended PolarNOx undertaking. A 2020 launch occurred when auroral exercise was much less frequent because of the solar simply popping out of the low level of its 11-year cycle. 

The 2026 launch offered measurements through the cycle’s excessive level.

The second mission launched early Monday. The mission had run out of time throughout 2025’s launch window.

The Black and Diffuse Aurora Science Surveyor mission is led by Marilia Samara of Goddard Space Flight Center.

Black auroras type when streams of auroral particles briefly create well-defined darkish shapes that drift and evolve inside the broader glow of a diffuse aurora. Diffuse auroras are usually faint and unfold over massive areas.