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TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites)

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    NASA’s TRACERS Spacecraft Begin Preliminary Science Data Collection

    Two black satelittes over a dark blue background that represents Earth's atmosphere. Yellow lines are streaking around the satellites, representing solar wind entering Earth's atmosphere.

    NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission has started collecting preliminary science data, including tandem measurements that are key to the mission’s science goals. One of the two satellites, Space Vehicle 2, completed commissioning and is fully operational. The other satellite, Space Vehicle 1, is also operating with some limitations following an issue earlier this […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Continues Recovery Efforts for One Satellite 

    Image shows a satellite move away from a silver metallic payload with the Earth in the background

    Teams for NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission, which launched on July 23, are continuing recovery efforts for one satellite, called Space Vehicle 1 (SV1). The other satellite, called Space Vehicle 2 (SV2), remains in good health and has started the commissioning process.  An issue with the power subsystem on July 25 resulted in […]

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    NASA Assessing One of Two Satellites Set to Study Magnetic Reconnection

    An artist's concept showing TRACERS above Earth. TRACERS is twin satellites, both gray and octagonal, with four poles sticking outward horizontally.

    After launch of NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission on July 23, the team successfully achieved telemetry lock and command functions with each of the two satellites. During the commissioning process, the team made routine adjustments to the power subsystem on both vehicles. While the adjustments achieved the desired results on […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Mission Launches to Study Earth’s Magnetic Shield

    An illustration showing the 2 TRACERS spacecraft. Filling the bottom half of the landscape image is a cloudy Earth. Behind Earth, the bright Sun is peaking out, filling the dark expanse of space with streaks of white light. The two spacecraft orbit above Earth, large hexagonal cylinders with long poles sticking out horizontally in 4 directions.

    NASA’s newest mission, TRACERS, soon will begin studying how Earth’s magnetic shield protects our planet from the effects of space weather. Short for Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites, the twin TRACERS spacecraft lifted off at 11:13 a.m. PDT (2:13 p.m. EDT) Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Mission in Orbit 

    Image shows a satellite move away from a silver metallic payload with the Earth in the background

    NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) twin satellites are in orbit after the spacecraft launched at 11:13 a.m. PDT (2:13 p.m. EDT) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Station in California as part of a commercial rideshare mission with several other payloads. […]

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    NASA, Partners Payloads Separate From Falcon 9 Second Stage

    Image shows a silver metallic CubeSat releasing from a silver payload in orbit.

    NASA-funded payloads, PExT (Polylingual Experimental Terminal) technology demonstration, and the REAL (Relativistic Electron Atmospheric Loss) CubeSat deployed around 55 minutes following launch of NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission.  The first of the twin TRACERS satellites is preparing to deploy in about 40 minutes, followed by the second approximately six minutes […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Mission Launch Takes Flight 

    Image shows a rocket launch in California

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off with NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base California at 11:13 a.m. PDT (2:13 p.m. EDT) today.  Also launching on this flight will be three additional NASA-funded payloads: the Athena EPIC (Economical Payload Integration Cost) […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Mission Launch Attempt Today

    Image shows a SpaceX rocket at the launch pad with NASA payloads in California

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission onboard has a second opportunity to launch the pair of satellites that will study space weather for the agency. The 57-minute launch window opens at 2:13 p.m. EDT (11:13 a.m. PDT) for today’s mission from Space Launch Complex 4 […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Mission Scrubbed, July 23 Next Attempt

    Image shows SpaceX rocket at the launch pad on a sunny day in California

    NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 2:13 p.m. EDT, (11:13 a.m. PDT) Wednesday, July 23, for launch of the agency’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission scrubbed on July 22 due to Federal Aviation Administration […]

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