A Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket which will be used on the mission. Photo: NASA

To the relief of chemtrail conspiracy theorists, NASA’s plan to create red and blue-green colored artificial clouds was postponed on Sunday morning. The clouds were expected to be visible for much of the East Coast and surely would have left many scratching their heads.

It’s not the first time this experiment has been delayed, but it marks the end of the launch window which ran from May 31st through June 6th. Weather forecasts show that the conditions won’t be right in the next two days and the tentative date for launch is now June 11th.

The experiment requires specific weather conditions. On the day of launch, a two-stage Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket will carry ten canisters that will be deployed about five minutes after liftoff. The canisters will then create vividly colored artificial clouds aka vapor tracers. NASA scientists will then visually track the subsequent particle motions to gain further understanding of the ionosphere. The space agency has ground cameras at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and in Duck, North Carolina. The sky must be clear at one of those locations for researchers to be able to gather data properly. Unfortunately, clouds interfered with the tests this morning, causing the postponement of the launch.

 

NASA is clear that this mission poses no danger to humans. The canisters would be released about 100 miles above the ground and they contain barium, strontium, and cupric-oxide. But just because the chemicals don’t pose a danger doesn’t mean the plummeting payload doesn’t. The scheduled launch on Saturday was canceled because of boats that were in the area where the payload was estimated to fall.

For anyone who wasn’t aware of this experiment, the postponement is just an opportunity. Assuming that all goes to plan, you’ll be able to watch the launch around 4 AM on June 11th. People on the East Coast “from New York to North Carolina,” will have a chance to see the colorful clouds in person according to NASA. For everyone else, a livestream will be available.

Quelle: NASA

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Update: 19.06.2017

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Too windy: NASA cancels 8th try at launch for sounding rocket

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The launch is rescheduled for no earlier than Monday, June 19, with a launch time window between 9:06 p.m. and 9:21 p.m., NASA said. 

Officials will meet after a weather briefing Monday afternoon to make a decision on trying to launch Monday night.

Provided it can get off the ground, the flight of the Terrier Improved Malemute rocket is designed to test a new system of deploying canisters that release blue-green and red vapor to form artificial clouds, which are used in studying the ionosphere and aurora, scientists say.

People may be able to see the clouds along the mid-Atlantic from New York to North Carolina, NASA said. 

Previously, the clouds could only be released in the immediate area of the payload. This time, a new ejection system will fire 10 canisters, each about the size of a soda can, between 6 and 12 miles away from the main payload.

The canisters are set to be deployed between four and five and a half minutes after launch. The clouds help scientists on the ground visually track particle motions in space. Scientists will use ground cameras based at Wallops and Duck, North Carolina, to monitor the results.

Using the new deployment method should allow scientists to study the particles over a much wider area, NASA said.

The vapor "tracers" consist of chemicals such as barium, strontium and cupric-oxide. They are to be released at altitudes 96-124 miles high and pose "absolutely no hazard" to residents along the mid-Atlantic coast, officials say.

Quelle: delmarvanow

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Update: 24.06.2017

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NASA launches rocket from Wallop’s Island

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (WAVY) — NASA on Thursday launched a Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket from the Wallops Island Flight Facility.

The rocket was carrying various experiments from a handful of programs, including RockOn! and RockSat-C.

NASA says the rocket’s payload was expected to land in the Atlantic Ocean, after flying to 73 miles altitude.

Thursday’s launch comes in the midst of several attempts by NASA to launch a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket.

That launch has been delayed nine times, and is now scheduled for Saturday, June 24, with a window of 9:07 p.m. to 9:22 p.m.

Quelle: WAVY

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Quelle: NASA