WALLOPS ISLAND, VA – Three NASA research rockets are set to blaze across the East Coast sky starting at 10 p.m. tonight, offering a rare light show visible to residents in Delaware, New Jersey, and parts of the mid-Atlantic.
The launch, part of the TOMEX+ mission, will take place from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and features a narrow launch window running through 3 a.m. Tuesday. If skies stay clear, viewers across the region may catch brief flashes of light as the rockets soar into the upper atmosphere.
The three rockets—known as sounding rockets—will be launched in rapid succession to collect atmospheric data from different altitudes and positions. NASA says this mission will help study turbulence in the upper atmosphere, which can impact satellites, GPS, and communication systems.
While the Wallops Visitor Center will remain closed tonight, NASA will livestream the launch on its Wallops YouTube channel starting five minutes before liftoff. The flight will send the rockets more than 100 miles into space, high enough to be visible for several hundred miles depending on conditions.
Delaware and southern New Jersey residents are likely to have the clearest views if the weather holds, with potential visibility extending as far north as southeastern Pennsylvania and as far south as coastal North Carolina.
The TOMEX+ mission is part of ongoing research into how the Earth’s atmosphere behaves near the edge of space. Scientists will use the data to improve models that predict how turbulence develops and spreads in this dynamic zone between Earth and space.
NASA has not provided a backup date, making tonight’s conditions critical for a successful launch.
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Key Points
- NASA will launch three sounding rockets from Wallops Island tonight beginning at 10 p.m.
- The launch may be visible from Delaware, New Jersey, and other parts of the East Coast.
- The mission studies atmospheric turbulence near the edge of space.
NASA’s rocket trio is set to bring a rare flash of space science to East Coast skies tonight.