NASA Completes Twin Satellites for TRACERS Mission

NASA has completed the construction of its twin spacecraft for the TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission, set to launch in 2025. The mission aims to investigate how solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, specifically focusing on magnetic reconnection events that can influence space weather and potentially disrupt technology and communications on Earth. By flying in tandem through polar cusps, the satellites will collect data to enhance understanding of these interactions, which can also lead to auroras. Millennium Space Systems is preparing the satellites for further integration of scientific instruments and environmental testing before their launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The successful study of solar wind and its effects is critical for predicting space weather events that can impact power grids and satellite operations.