Rockets Shot at Northern Lights for AWESOME Mission

NASA is preparing for an exciting new mission that could change our understanding of how the Earth's upper atmosphere interacts with space weather. Between March 24 and April 6, 2025, three sounding rockets will launch from the Poker Flat Research Range in Fairbanks, Alaska. Two of these rockets launched on March 25. 

This mission, known as AWESOME (Auroral Waves Excited by Substorm Onset Magnetic Events), aims to study how auroral substorms, dramatic bursts of energy in the northern lights, affect the thermosphere. This research could improve space weather forecasting and help protect satellites, GPS systems, and other space technology. 

What Is the AWESOME Mission?

NASA’s AWESOME mission is set to challenge traditional ideas about the thermosphere, the region of the atmosphere between 50 and 350 miles above Earth. Scientists have long believed this layer is relatively stable, but recent evidence suggests auroral activity may create disturbances that spread farther than previously thought.