NASA Plans Three Rockets Launch With Vapor Trails Over Mid-Atlantic

NASA plans to launch three sounding rockets as part of the TOMEX+ mission from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, targeting the turbulent mesopause region of Earth's atmosphere, about 53 to 65 miles above ground. The launch window is between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., with the rockets potentially visible across the Mid-Atlantic region, including parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York City, and some areas of West Virginia, weather permitting. The first two rockets will release colorful vapor tracers made from compounds similar to fireworks, allowing scientists to visually track upper atmospheric winds, while the third rocket will use a laser to make a sodium layer fluoresce, helping researchers measure atmospheric motions and density changes. This mission aims to better understand the mesopause, the coldest and most turbulent atmospheric layer, which influences weather energy transfer and satellite drag. The vapor tracers, composed of barium, lithium, and aluminum compounds, are non-harmful, and the mission had prior delays due to weather and Hurricane Erin. NASA provides live updates and a livestream of the launch on its social media channels.