NASA creating artificial clouds in space with rocket launch today

New Delhi: After weeks of delays, NASA is testing a rocket that will create blue-green and red artificial clouds in space on Thursday.

The launch of the NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, for the vapor release mission is on schedule for Thursday, June 29, with the liftoff time has been refined to 4:25 – 4:48 a.m. EDT, says the US space agency, adding that the backup launch day is June 30.

NASA adds the launch window is determined by sun angles and also moon down conditions. Thus, this launch window is early morning compared to the previous evening launch window for this mission.

The NASA Visitor Center will open at 3:30 a.m. on launch day to view the launch.

With the new launch time, live coverage now begins on the Wallops Ustream site at 4 a.m. and Facebook Live coverage begins at 4:15 a.m.

The launch was orginally scheduled for early June, however, it has been postponed several times because of bad weather and poor visibility.

The rocket is to test a new multi-canister ejection system for deploying vapors in ionosphere or aurora sounding rocket missions.

Upon launch of the rocket, the vapors will form luminescent, blue-green and red, artificial clouds that may be seen from New York to North Carolina.