NASA Will Fly 3 Sounding Rockets During April 8's Total Solar Eclipse—Here's Why

NASA has announced plans to launch three Black Brant IX sounding rockets as part of the Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) mission during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

These rockets will take off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility launch range in Virginia, with launch windows scheduled to open at 2:40 p.m. EDT.

The APEP Sounding Rockets

The APEP sounding rockets are set to launch approximately 45 minutes before, during, and after the peak local eclipse time to study the effects of the eclipse on Earth's upper atmosphere.

The targeted launch times for the three rockets are 2:40 p.m., 3:20 p.m., and 4:05 p.m., but these times may be subject to change.

The launches will be livestreamed on the Wallops YouTube channel, starting at 2:30 p.m. Weather permitting, the launches may be seen in the mid-Atlantic region. However, spectators are reminded to wear solar safety or "eclipse" glasses when viewing the sun to protect their eyes.

Members of the public are invited to witness the rocket launches and partial eclipse at the NASA Wallops Visitor Center. The center will open its gates from 1-5 p.m., offering solar-related activities, expert insights from NASA sounding rocket specialists, and demonstrations of data collection during the eclipse using the Observer app.

Eclipse glasses and pinhole viewers will be available, along with food trucks serving a variety of refreshments.

A designated sensory-friendly quiet area will be provided at the visitor center for guests who may require a quieter environment.

How the Eclipse Will Affect the Ionosphere

The APEP mission aims to study how the sudden disappearance of sunlight during the eclipse affects the ionosphere, a region of Earth's atmosphere crucial for radio signal transmission and satellite communications.

By launching rockets at different intervals surrounding the eclipse, scientists hope to gather data on atmospheric disturbances and validate predictive models.

The ionosphere, located between 55 to 310 miles above the Earth's surface, plays a vital role in reflecting and refracting radio signals. Understanding its behavior during events like solar eclipses is essential for ensuring the reliability of communication systems, according to the space agency.

NASA's targeted rocket launches allow scientists to collect data at specific times and altitudes of the ionosphere, which may not be feasible with satellite observations alone.

The APEP rockets will measure charged and neutral particle density, electric and magnetic fields, and deploy secondary instruments to enhance data collection efficiency.

In addition to the sounding rockets, other teams across the United States will contribute to ionospheric measurements using high-altitude balloons and ground-based radars.

Collaborative efforts between research institutions aim to refine existing models and gain a comprehensive understanding of ionospheric dynamics during the eclipse.