NASA successfully launched three sounding rockets from Alaska to study the electrical currents powering the northern lights. The missions, including investigations into mysterious black auroras, gathered high-quality data on how energy flows through Earth's upper atmosphere. All rockets achieved their planned altitudes and transmitted valuable measurements back to scientists.
On February 9, 2025, at 3:29 a.m. AKST, the Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor rocket lifted off from the Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska, reaching an altitude of about 224 miles (360 kilometers). Principal investigator Marilia Samara confirmed that all instruments functioned as planned, delivering strong data on dark regions within auroras known as black auroras, which may indicate sudden reversals in electrical currents. This was the mission's second attempt, following a postponement in 2025 due to weather and conditions.
The following day, February 10, at 1:19 a.m. AKST, the twin GNEISS rockets—part of the Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science mission—launched just 30 seconds apart, ascending to peaks of approximately 198.3 miles (319.06 kilometers) and 198.8 miles (319.94 kilometers). Led by principal investigator Kristina Lynch, a professor at Dartmouth College, the rockets released subpayloads to measure the aurora's electrical environment from multiple points. Ground stations and instrument booms operated as expected, with the team expressing satisfaction over the collected data.
Auroras form when electrons from space energize atmospheric gases, creating glowing displays, but the full electrical circuit involves scattered return flows influenced by winds, pressures, and fields. The GNEISS mission used the rockets' paths, along with radio signals analyzed by ground receivers, to map these currents in three dimensions. "We're not just interested in where the rocket flies," Lynch explained. "We want to know how the current spreads downward through the atmosphere." She compared the technique to a CT scan of the plasma beneath the aurora.
These efforts complement NASA's EZIE satellite mission, launched in March 2025, which observes currents from orbit. By integrating rocket data with ground imagery, researchers aim to better understand space weather effects, such as atmospheric heating and turbulence impacting satellites. "If we can put the in situ measurements together with the ground-based imagery, then we can learn to read the aurora," Lynch added. The launches provide direct insights into how space interacts with Earth's atmosphere.
