NASA's TOMEX+ mission successfully launched three sounding rockets from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on the night of August 25, 2025. The launch, visible to residents along the East Coast, marked a significant step in exploring the mesopause, a critical and elusive region of Earth's atmosphere situated between approximately 53 and 65 miles above the surface.
The mission utilizes two Terrier-Improved Orion rockets and one Black Brant IX rocket. The initial two rockets released vapor tracers designed to illuminate wind patterns within the mesosphere. The third rocket is equipped with a lidar device, employing a specialized laser to excite sodium atoms. This technique provides a detailed three-dimensional visualization of atmospheric turbulence, building upon NASA's initial studies of this phenomenon in 2000 with a single rocket.
The TOMEX+ mission is led by Jim Clemmons, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Hampshire. The insights gained are expected to significantly enhance the understanding of atmospheric dynamics, contributing to advancements in weather prediction models, aviation safety, and the study of atmospheric processes on other planets. The mesopause, being too high for weather balloons and too low for satellites, presents a unique observational challenge that sounding rockets are well-suited to address.
The data collected by the TOMEX+ mission is anticipated to refine the understanding of phenomena such as satellite drag and high-altitude cloud formation. These findings are crucial for both terrestrial weather forecasting and broader space science applications. The success of such missions underscores the intricate planning and execution involved in atmospheric research.