During the solar eclipse, NASA launched three sounding rockets into the Earth’s atmosphere on Monday afternoon.
NASA scientists launched the rockets to observe “disturbances in the ionosphere when the moon eclipses the sun.”
The first rocket was launched 45 minutes before the eclipse, the second rocket was launched during the eclipse, and the third rocket was launched 45 minutes after the eclipse occurred.
WATCH:
WATCH: NASA Launches Sounding Rocket at Wallops Island During Solar Eclipse #NASA #Eclipse @gatewaypundit pic.twitter.com/hoGEuUAvxi
— Anthony Scott (@AnthonyScottTGP) April 8, 2024
The second of three sounding rockets for NASA’s APEP mission lifted off from Wallops Monday, April 8, at 3:25 p.m. EDT. pic.twitter.com/Diktcr4tZR
— NASA Wallops (@NASAWallops) April 8, 2024
Per Fox 5 DC:
On Monday, April 8, NASA plans to launch three sounding rockets into the Earth’s upper atmosphere while the moon partially veils the sun’s luminous disk.
The Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path sounding rockets will blast off from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, just so scientists can study the disturbances in the ionosphere when the moon eclipses the sun.
As the earth spins around its axis, closer to Monday, April 8, anticipation is mounting in the nation’s capital for the celestial spectacle – the highly anticipated “Great North American Eclipse.”
There will be three different launch times: 45 minutes before the peak eclipse, during, and 45 minutes after. NASA states that the different intervals are pivotal for collecting data on how the sun’s sudden disappearance affects the ionosphere — which the space agency says could potentially interfere with our communications on Earth.
“Understanding the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is crucial to making sure our increasingly communication-dependent world operates smoothly,” said Aroh Barjatya, a professor of engineering physics at Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University campus.
Many residents of the East Coast were able to spot the rockets from their homes briefly.
The last of three sounding rockets for NASA’s APEP mission lifted off from Wallops Monday, April 8, at 4:28 p.m. EDT. This completes today’s mission. pic.twitter.com/mHnonBCLwg
— NASA Wallops (@NASAWallops) April 8, 2024
The Gateway Pundit reported that NASA named the project APEP or APOPHIS, which is the ancient Egyptian deity of Chaos, Death, and Disorder.
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