Tuesday, March 20, 2012

NASA (ATREX) Launches: Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment

The ATREX mission will launch 5 Sounding rockets in 5 minutes to gather information to better understand the process responsible for the Earth's high-altitude jet stream.

This map shows the projected area in which the chemical tracers released from the rockets may be visible to the public. Credit: NASA/Wallops

For the 5 Rocket launches to go ahead, clear skies are required at three special camera sites located along the mid-Atlantic coast in Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey.

The visible tracers may be observed for up to 20 minutes by residents in the mid-Atlantic region, and along the east coast of the United States from parts of New Jersey to South Carolina.

Launch Viewing at Wallops
The launch window each night will vary but will open no earlier than 11 p.m. EST and close no later than 6:30 a.m. The NASA Visitor Center at Wallops will be open at least one hour before the opening of the daily launch window for viewing the mission by the public. Call 757-824-2298 to confirm opening time.

› Launch Sequence PDF

Web Cast
The ATREX mission will be web cast beginning 2 hours before the opening of the launch window. Visit http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/webcast.

Mariners/Boaters
Information for mariners on areas to avoid on the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Wallops Island during launch operations. Visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home/marine.html.

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