NASA Selects SpaceX To Launch TRACERS Satellite Into Solar Synchron Orbit

Illustration of the TRACERS satellite in space to study the magnetic interaction between the Earth and the solar wind (Photo: Doc. NASA)

JAKARTA - The United States Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) chose SpaceX, a company owned by Elon Musk, to launch a small satellite into low-earth orbit.

Reporting from Spacenews, NASA wants to study the weather of space and magnetosphere. These two things will be studied with the small satellites Tandem Reconnection and the Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS).

TRACERS itself has been selected by NASA since 2019 to study heliophysics, the influence of the sun on all planets in the solar system, on the Small Explorer (SMEX) mission.

At that time, TRACERS was planned to launch with another SMEX mission, namely the Polarimeter to Unite Korona and Heliosphere (PUNCH).

In announcing this cooperation, NASA did not explain in more detail about the rocket used and when the launch would be exact.

NASA has only said that TRACERS will be a payload on the mission towards solar synchronous orbit.

Upon arrival in solar synchronous orbit, TRACERS will cross repeatedly at the top of Earth's magnetosphere pole to study magnetic reconnection interactions between solar wind and terrestrial magnetosphere.

The mission will reportedly be led by David Miles of Lowa University. This mission will be carried out no later than April 2025.