NASA's TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission successfully launched on July 23, 2025, at 2:13 p.m. EDT (11:13 a.m. PDT) from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission aims to study how Earth's magnetic shield interacts with the solar wind, a continuous stream of charged particles from the Sun. Understanding this interaction is crucial for predicting space weather events that can impact satellites, communication systems, and power grids on Earth.
The TRACERS mission consists of two identical satellites that will fly in tandem through Earth's magnetic field near the poles. These satellites will measure magnetic reconnection events, which occur when solar wind particles collide with Earth's magnetic field, releasing energy and directing particles into the atmosphere. By observing these events, scientists hope to gain insights into how solar activity affects Earth's magnetosphere and atmosphere.
In addition to the TRACERS satellites, three other NASA-funded payloads were launched: the Athena EPIC (Economical Payload Integration Cost) SmallSat, the PExT (Polylingual Experimental Terminal) technology demonstration, and the REAL (Relativistic Electron Atmospheric Loss) CubeSat. These missions aim to demonstrate new technologies and gather scientific data to enhance our understanding of space weather and its effects on Earth.
The TRACERS mission is led by David Miles at the University of Iowa, with support from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. NASA's Heliophysics Explorers Program Office at the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the mission for the agency's Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The University of Iowa, Southwest Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of California, Berkeley, all lead instruments on TRACERS that study changes in Earth's magnetic field and electric field. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare contract.