NASA postpones TRACERS mission to 2025 to better prepare twin satellites for a crucial space study.

SPACE By Aniket Chakraborty May 5, 2025 Arrow

TRACERS will launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

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The twin satellites will orbit 341 miles above Earth, focusing on the northern polar cusp.

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The mission will investigate magnetic reconnection—how solar wind penetrates Earth's shield.

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Magnetic reconnection triggers auroras but also endangers satellites, aviation, and power grids.

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TRACERS aims to improve space weather forecasting to protect global communications and infrastructure.

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The University of Iowa leads the mission, with Southwest Research Institute managing operations.

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NASA’s Heliophysics Division oversees the project through the Heliophysics Explorers Program.

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With daily polar cusp passes, TRACERS will pinpoint where and how energy enters Earth's atmosphere.

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This mission is key to decoding the Sun’s impact on our planet and safeguarding modern technology.

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