NASA to launch 5 rockets quickly to track winds

I just saw this on twitter via -NASA Wallops Flight Facility.

"NASA has scrubbed tonights launch attempt for the ATREX mission because of a payload problem.
Next attempt no earlier than night of 3/16."

I hope they can fix the problem, this study should yield some interesting information.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by Monsatan

 

I remember the good old days when they used balloons.

Balloons won't go 65 miles up.

Agreed.

They also won't produce relatively straight trails in a very short space of time, which would enable researchers to study the upper atmosphere winds - the whole point of the experiment.

here is an update

www.thestate.com... kets-to-study.html

NASA initially said it would send up five rockets in five minutes from coastal Virginia early Thursday. But it subsequently announced Wednesday the launch was scrubbed due to a payload problem. The next attempt will be no earlier than Friday night. Read more here: www.thestate.com...=cpy

]

so dont get your chem suits out yet!

All a bit suspicious if you ask me,the arrival of Phage proves it too,No like another poster said,its something else...

reply to post by sweetliberty

A likely story.
Obviously it was because the plot behind the cover story was exposed here on ATS.

Prestidigitation if you ask me. My word of the day. I feel smarter just being able to say it. Although it does refer more to the actual clever use of your hands during a magic trick, I think it could apply to this scenario as well. I'll be looking over my shoulder instead of at the pretty rockets. You cant pick my pocket while I'm looking at you.

Of course, I'll probably only deprive myself of a spectacle...oh well, that's what I get for not trusting.

As I posted on the other thread, just in case anyone is planning on heading out for the rescheduled launch...

I just heard that the rescheduled launch has been postponed for at least another night.

reply to post by JMech


or did you mean this particular article
en.wikipedia.org...

looks like sunday will be the day

news.yahoo.com...

After a four-day delay, NASA is planning to fire off five rockets in just over five minutes late Sunday (March 18) for a mission that, if all goes well, will create glowing clouds to probe mysterious, fast-moving winds at the edge of space.

The five-rocket salvo, which is scheduled to launch Sunday night from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, forms the core of the agency's Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment, or ATREX. The unmanned rockets will release chemical tracers at about 60 miles (97 kilometers) up, allowing scientists to track high-altitude winds that can top 300 mph (483 kph).

These tracers will generate luminous milky-white clouds that should be visible to folks on the ground from parts of South Carolina up through southern New England, researchers have said

view link for full article.

reply to post by steaming


No. The question was about Japanese balloon bombs.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by sweetliberty

 

A likely story.
Obviously it was because the plot behind the cover story was exposed here on ATS.

I got the hiccups for nothing? Postponed again, this time for poor weather but there's still time. Date Range: March 14 - April 3, 2012
I predict it will happen tonight.

Who do they think they"re fooling? Maybe I should just cut to the chase and completely expose the mission. (Eta: Since ATS won't show all of their cards)

This jet stream is located in the same region where strong electrical currents occur in the ionosphere. It is therefore a region with a lot of electrical turbulence, of the type that can adversely affect satellite and radio communications.

meanwhile ...

"In 3-D turbulence, one sees complicated movement," says Larsen. "But there's a tendency for 2-D turbulence to behave almost in the opposite manner – the airflow coalesces into single streams, like a jet stream."

therefore

...create rapid transport from the Earth's mid latitudes to the polar regions.

Trimethyl aluminum/gasacious modifiedClen.
True mission exposed with not much room for teasing.
.
It's all good, I enjoy the mind-numbing trips when staring into the abyss, they can take all the time they need.

Sounds very interesting. I might read more on this sometime.

Item

ATREX Press Releases

Five Rocket ATREX Postponed to March 19
03.17.12 - The ATREX mission has been rescheduled to no earlier than the night of Monday, March 19, due to the high probability of unacceptable weather on March 18. A launch decision will be made Sunday evening.
www.nasa.gov...

If anyone is interested the type of rockets to be used are:

The sounding rockets being used for the mission are two Terrier-Improved Malemutes , two Terrier-Improved Orions and one Terrier-Oriole.
www.nasa.gov...

Update:

ATREX Press Releases

Five Rocket ATREX Moved to March 20
03.18.12 - The ATREX mission has been postponed to no earlier than the night of March 20 due to expected poor weather along mid-Atlantic coast. Next update is Monday, March 19.
www.nasa.gov...

I've been waiting for this since i first seen the thread

I dont think i will be able to see it looking at their "Visible Range" graph.
I would like to ask any members to take a video and/or pictures for those of us not close enough to see it. It would be much appreciated.

So the next update will be this evening. so hopefully the weather can co-operate on Tuesday and let them launch those bad boys off!!

The red dots over the water show where ATREX will deploy chemical tracers to watch how super fast winds move some 60 miles up in the atmosphere. While there are only five rockets, two will deploy two sets of tracers, resulting in seven clouds. Only six dots appear in this image, since two will be deployed at the left-most red/green dot, which represents Wallops. Three cameras will track the cloud tracers – one at Wallops and two located at the green dots.
Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

reply to post by this_is_who_we_are


Another update:

ATREX Press Releases
Five Rocket ATREX Set for March 21 03.19.12 - NASA has scheduled the launch of five suborbital sounding rockets from the Wallops Facility in Virginia as part of a study of the upper level jet stream from midnight to 5 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, March 21.

So tuesday night/wednesday morning, IF THE WEATHER can co-operate.
We will see this one of a kind show. Hopefully it will go as planned!

Posted by RCC on 2012-03-19 at 17:07:37 EDT
The ATREX mission has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 21, from midnight to 5 a.m. EDT. The countdown will begin at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 20. Webcast of the mission will begin at 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 20.

Website for the WEBCAST

i have been reading these march 20th predictions

lol great day to launch a rocket right....

reply to post by omegacorps

Originally posted by omegacorps
i have been reading these march 20th predictions

lol great day to launch a rocket right....

Or to start a Global Zombie Apocalypse. Maybe we should duct tape our windows and doors... and then board them up.
Hey... anything can happen.

well if the world ends i'll buy every one tacos.

just save me a window seat on the mother ship.