Aurora Rocket Launch of the Day: Researchers from Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire are investigating the physics behind the Northern Lights, and part of their research involved launching a 46-foot rocket into an aurora.
The 2-stage Terrier-Black Brant rocket launched from Fairbanks, Alaska over the weekend, carrying instruments to measure magnetic fields and charged particles involved in the aurora and transmit data in real time. It reached an altitude of 217 miles, and landed around 200 miles from the launch site.
“This will help us better understand how satellite signals get degraded by space weather and how we can mitigate those effects in new and improved GPS receivers,” said Cornell’s Steven Powell.
Check out another photo of the rocket heading into the aurora after the jump.
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