NASA has chosen SpaceX, headquartered in Hawthorne, California, along with its Falcon 9 rocket, to provide launch services for the TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission. This mission involves a pair of small satellites dedicated to the study of space weather and the impact of the Sun's energy on Earth's magnetic environment, also known as the magnetosphere.

TRACERS represents a significant addition to NASA's heliophysics capabilities, aiming to address fundamental questions vital to our comprehension of the Sun-Earth system. These spinning satellites will focus on investigating the interaction between the solar wind, a continuous flow of ionized particles emanating from the Sun into space, and the region surrounding Earth dominated by our planet's magnetic field. This interaction, referred to as magnetic reconnection, involves an intense exchange of energy that can occur when two magnetic fields intersect. It has the potential to influence activities involving astronauts and sensitive satellites.

The leadership of the TRACERS mission rests with the University of Iowa, with collaborative efforts from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio and Millennium Space Systems in El Segundo, California.

This launch service announcement is made through NASA's Launch Services Program, located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It is part of NASA's VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) launch services contract, conducted in collaboration with NASA's Heliophysics Small Explorers program.

Source:prnewswire.com