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TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites)

    NASA Mission Ready to Study Space Weather Impacts on Earth 

    In this artist's concept, the two TRACERS spacecraft are orbiting above Earth. Earth fills most of the image, with speckles of a starry sky visible above the planet. The spacecraft are octagonal with long antennae sticking out on four sides, and shorter antennae sticking out on two sides.

    NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission is targeting to lift off today at 2:13 p.m. EDT (11:13 a.m. PDT) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. There is a 57-minute launch window for this mission.  The TRACERS mission will study magnetic […]

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    NASA Satellites Encapsulated for TRACERS Launch 

    Image shows a group of people in white bunny suits posing in front of a spacecraft fairing with two black satellites on top a shiny metallic box

    Final prelaunch operations are underway for NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission. Technicians encapsulated the twin satellites within a payload fairing on Friday, July 18, inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.  The fairing will protect the mission during launch through the atmosphere and before […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Mission Targeting Launch on July 22

    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) spacecraft are targeting launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during a launch window that opens at 2:13 p.m. EDT (11:13 a.m. PDT) on Tuesday, July 22. The TRACERS mission and three NASA small satellites will launch from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Spacecraft Arrive at Launch Site

    Editor’s note: This post has been updated on June 17, 2025, with more information on the target launch date. NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) twin spacecraft have completed the final pre-shipment tests and have arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in preparations for launch later this year. The TRACERS […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Mission Now Targeting No Earlier Than Summer for Launch

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

    NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) now is targeting no earlier than summer 2025 for launch in order to give the mission spacecraft team additional time to prepare. The mission is a pair of satellites that will study how the solar wind — the continuous stream of ionized particles escaping the Sun […]

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    NASA’s TRACERS Mission Passes Key Milestone, Advances Toward Launch

    Animated graphic showing solar wind blowing against giant magnetic bubble surrounding Earth, with two funnels in the bubble at the north and south poles

    NASA's Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites mission, or TRACERS mission, has passed a critical mission review on March 31, 2022. The mission now moves into its next phase, advancing towards its target launch readiness date of July 27, 2024. "We're excited to pass this major milestone and get one step closer to launch," …

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