NASA is set to brief the media on its upcoming Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission, designed to study Earth’s magnetic shield. The teleconference will take place at 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday, July 17, with the mission targeted for launch no earlier than late July. The TRACERS mission involves two satellites that will orbit from pole to pole in a Sun-synchronous trajectory. Their primary objective is to investigate the phenomenon of magnetic reconnection and its impact on Earth’s magnetosphere, which protects the planet from the solar wind. This phenomenon plays a crucial role in shaping space weather, which can affect satellites, technology, and astronauts. In addition to TRACERS, three other NASA-funded payloads will also be launched. These include the Athena EPIC SmallSat, which offers a cost-effective approach to deploying remote-sensing instruments; the Polylingual Experimental Terminal technology, which demonstrates new space communication capabilities; and the REAL CubeSat, aimed at understanding the scattering of high-energy particles in Earth’s atmosphere. The mission, managed by NASA’s Heliophysics Division, will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It involves collaboration with several research institutions, including the University of Iowa, Southwest Research Institute, and Dartmouth College. Further details about the TRACERS mission can be accessed on NASA’s official website. Post navigation Space Q&A: Students Connect with NASA