SRPO Annual Report 2019.pdf

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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R o ck et s A nn ua l R ep o rt

Giovanni Rosanova Chief, Sounding Rockets Program Office

M es sa g e fr o m t h e

C h ie f

The Sounding Rocket Program continued to reach for the heavens in 2019. We launched 17 missions, from 5 launch sites around the globe, using 6 vehicle configurations and covering five different science disciplines.

The first Astrophysics mission this year was a re-fly of the Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Spectrograph (DEUCE) mission, flown from White Sands Missile Range, NM. DEUCE measured ionizing photons emitted by ε Canis Major. The mission was successful and DEUCE is slated for another flight in 2020 from a new launch site in Australia. A second astrophysics mission Subor-bital Imaging Spectrograph for Transition region Irradiance from Nearby Exoplanet host stars (SISTINE), also from White Sands, tested new technologies useable for future NASA science missions.

SISTINE also aimed to study the UV environments of low mass stars and their effects on potential exoplanet atmospheres. The technology test portion of this mission was successfully executed;

however, science data was not collected. SISTINE also is scheduled to fly from Australia in 2020.

Solar physics was supported with two flights from White Sands Missile Range. Chromospheric LAyer Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP) 2 aimed to further our understanding of solar activity through measurement and modeling of solar magnetic fields. EUV Snapshot Imaging Spectrograph (ESIS) observed magnetic reconnection in the transition region of the Sun. Both missions successfully col-lected data, and early results are described on pages eight and nine of this report.

The Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI) is a series of large-scale international collaborative programs that will use in-situ observa-tions and remote sensing to address fundamental issues in space and Earth science. The objective of CGI – Cusp, the first CGI project, is to determine the multi-scale physics of heating and charged parti-cle precipitation that occurs in the ionospheric footprints of Earth’s geomagnetic cusps. SRPO’s participation in this international effort took us to two launch sites in the Arctic, Svalbard and Andøya Space Center, both in Norway. Four science missions encompassing six rockets, and one student mission, were flown and were success-ful in collecting the desired science data. Operationally, the first phase of the Grand Challenge campaign certainly lived up to its name. A tremendous amount of planning, logistics, technical exper-tise and long deployments in the field were critical to our success.

Additionally, our success was due to the tireless efforts of our friends at NASA Headquarters who approved these missions as excepted activities during the partial government shutdown. The second phase of this campaign featured two rockets for the Auroral Zone Upwelling Rocket Experiment (AZURE) mission, which produced spectacular images from the neutral wind measurement tracers that were released and glowed in the northern sky. CGI-Cusp continues in Fiscal Year 2020 with two planned NASA missions; Cusp Region EXperiment (C-REX) 2 launching from Andoya Space Center, and Cusp Heating Investigation (CHI) launching from Svalbard.

For 2020 we are also continuing to work toward supporting south-ern hemisphere astrophysics missions from Australia. A new launch range, Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA), will be used for these missions supported by our mobile assets. The missions are currently manifested for a July 2020 launch window, and focus on UV and X-ray research.

We heard from some of the hundreds of students we inspire every year:

“RockSat-X was a great opportunity for me to get experience build-ing a sounding rocket payload. Getting to learn from and network with engineers here at Wallops is an opportunity I will forever be grateful for.” Josh Loredo - Computer Science & Mathematics - University of Kentucky

"Ever since I was a child I knew that my purpose was within the engineering field. I participated in many programs with the hope of gaining the experience to participate with NASA. After attending the Community College of Aurora, I had the opportunity of being part of RockSat-X which was an eye-opener. Diversity, inclusivity, and a wide range of experiences were seen not only in our team but in all the teams. The feeling of "belonging" was something that was felt throughout the project which helped keep me motivated to continue in my career path." Ruby Martinez Gomez - Aerospace Engineering - University of Colorado - Boulder

Those few lines are the best recognition of the value of our outreach and STEM engagement efforts. These students, among hundreds of others, participated in one of our flagship student flight opportuni-ties, RockSat-X. This is the most advanced opportunity and enables student teams to design, build, test, and integrate, their own experi-ment. From idea to flight! Together with RockOn, a beginners workshop, and RockSat-C, intermediate experiment level, our stu-dent flight programs cover the spectrum of learning opportunities.

These programs are a collaborative effort between SRPO, Colorado Space Grant and Virginia Space Grant Consortia.

Additional STEM engagement activities include the Wallops Rocket Academy for Teacher and Student (WRATS). The WRATS annual workshop was held in August to coincide with the RockSat- X launch. Nineteen teachers from six states came to Wallops and learned how to use model rockets as educational tools in the class-room. Both SRPO and NSROC staff conduct numerous outreach activities at local schools throughout the year, and serve as guides for facility tours for audiences as diverse as kindergarten students to congressional delegations.

I look back at the past year with gratefulness for the many missions and projects successfully completed by the program, but most of all, I am grateful for the outstanding team that supports the Sounding Rockets Program. At all levels of our organization, I see excellence.

The willingness to tackle the hard tasks, as well as, focus on the de-tails, makes the program world class. Thank you for your continued dedication and passion!

Giovanni Rosanova/Chief Sounding Rockets Program Office

Table of Contents Message from the Chief 2

Sounding Rockets Overview 4 Solar Physics Missions 2019 7

Chromospheric LAyer Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP) 2 8 EUV Snapshot Imaging Spectrograph (ESIS) 9

Astrophysics Missions 2019 10 Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Spectrograph (DEUCE) 12 Suborbital Imaging Spectrograph for Transition region Irradiance fromNearby Exoplanet host stars (SISTINE) 13

Geospace Missions 2019 15 VISualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral atom imaging during a Substorm (VISIONS) 2 16 Twin Rockets to Investigate Cusp Electrodynamics (TRICE) 2 17 Cusp Alfven and Plasma Electrodynamics Rocket (CAPER) 2 18 Auroral Zone Upwelling Rocket Experiment (AZURE) 19 Waves and Instabilities from a Neutral Dynamo (Too Windy) 2 21

Education Missions 2019 24 RockSat-XN 26 RockOn 28 RockSat-X 29

STEM Engagement 35 Wallops Rocketry Academy for Teachers and Students 36 Internships and Outreach 37

Technology Development 39 On the Horizon 45 Charts 48

Sounding Rocket Vehicles 48 Sounding Rocket Vehicle Performance 49 Sounding Rocket Launch Sites 50 Sounding Rockets Program Office personnel 51 Contact Information 52

Cover photo: TRICE-2 launches from Andoya Space Center, Norway

Credit: Jamie Adkins/Wallops Imaging Lab

Launch History

Sounding Rockets Overview The Sounding Rockets Program Office (SRPO) and the NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC) carry out NASA's sub-orbital rocket program.

A fleet of vehicles acquired from military surplus or purchased commercially are used to carry scientific and technology payloads to altitudes between 50 and 1,500 kilometers. All payload support systems, such as Telemetry, At-titude Control, and Recovery are designed and fabricated by NSROC machin-ists, technicians and engineers. Launch operations are conducted worldwide to facilitate science requirements, for example Geospace research is often conducted in the arctic from launch sites in Norway and Alaska. Increasing mission complexities are addressed through continuous improvement in sys-tems design and development.

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Fiscal Year

Sounding Rocket Launches

FY 2009 ‐ 2019

Total number of launches: 183 Launches Vehicle Success Mission Success

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Svalbard, Norway Number of launches: 2

White Sands, NM Number of launches: 4

Wallops Island, VA Number of launches: 3

Andoya Space Center, Norway Number of launches: 6

Kwajalein, Marshall Islands Number of launches: 2

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Solar Physics

Missions by Discipline

Two Solar Physics mission, Chromospheric LAyer Spectro- Polarimeter (CLASP) 2 and EUV Snapshot Imaging Spectrograph (ESIS) were flown in 2019.

304 Å: Emitted by helium-2 (He II) at around 50,000 Kelvin. This light is emitted from the chromosphere and transition region.

211 Å: Emitted by iron-14 (Fe XIV) at temperatures of 2,000,000 Kelvin. These images show hotter, magnetically active regions in the Sun’s corona.

193 Å: Em itted by iron-12 (Fe XII) at

1,000,000 Kelvin (hotter region of the corona) and iron 24 (Fe XXIV) at

20,000,000 Kelvin (hotter m aterial in a flare).

94 Å: Em itt ed by iron-18 (Fe XVIII) at tem peratures of 6,000,000 Kelvin. Tem peratures like this represent regions of the corona during a solar flare.

171 Å: Em itted by iron-9

(Fe IX) at around 600,000

Kelvin. This w avelength show s the quiet corona and coronal loops.

131 Å: Em itt ed by iron-20 (Fe XX) and iron-23 (Fe XXIII) at tem peratures greater than 10,000,000 Kelvin, representing the m aterial in flares.

335 Å: Emitted by iron-16 (Fe XVI) at temperatures of 2,500,000 Kelvin. These images also show hotter, magnetically active regions in the corona.

Hard X-rays with energies of 4 - 20 keV emitted by accelerated electrons. Background image slices shows a composite of Hinode, NuSTAR, and

SDO data. 4 - 20 keV

~2 mil K

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.6 mil K

211 Å

2 mil K 304 Å

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1600 Å: Emitted by carbon-4 (C IV) at around 10,000 Kelvin. C IV at these temperatures is present in the upper photosphere and what’s called the transition region. The transition region is where the temperature rapidly rises.

EUV Snapshot Imaging Spectrograph

(ESIS)

The new ESIS instrument mapped Doppler shifts and line widths, which correspond with bulk and turbulent velocities, in the transition region at a two second cadence.

Chromospheric LAyer Spectro-Polarimeter

(CLASP) 2

The aim of CLASP-2 was the detection of linear polarization (Hanle effect) of the Mg II h & k lines from the solar chromosphere.

Credit: Multispectral background image NASA/SDO/ GSFC Visualization Studio X-ray background slice from NuSTAR, Hinode and

SDO.

This graphic, created from Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and other orbital observatories, describes the relationship between, atoms, temperature and spectral wavelengths.

Sounding rocket instruments gather information about solar spectra in a similar way. This year, two missions, CLASP-2 and ESIS studied the Sun in several wavelengths. CLASP-2 gathered data on the solar chromosphere at 279.9 nm (2799 Å), and ESIS studied the transition region at 62.9 nm (629 Å), 46.5 nm (465 Å), and 30.4 nm (304 Å). Some of these observations are in the same wavelengths as orbital observatories and are conducted in conjunction with satellite over passes to correlate data.

Solar Physics Missions 2019

Hard X-rays with energies of 4 - 20 keV emitted by accelerated electrons. Background image slices shows a composite of Hinode, NuSTAR, and

SDO data.

Electromagnetic Radiation

Most of the radiation emitted by the Sun is blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere. In order to study the Sun at these wavelengths, instruments have to be placed in space. Spacecraft such as the SDO and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) include multispectral instruments and have mission durations of several years. Sounding rockets are used for both fundamental science exploration and development of future technologies for spacecraft. Additionally an instrument can be launched at predetermined times and locations, to coordinate observations with orbital platforms. This type of coordination can augment and/or calibrate satellite research. With short mission lead times and lower cost, sounding rockets enable world class science discovery.

Instruments for Solar Physics

Spectrographs are commonly used instruments for solar physics. A spectrograph measures radiation intensity as a function of wavelength. All elements in the periodic table have associated characteristic spectra. When energy is added to an element, i.e., when electrons in an atom are excited and then transition back from this excited state to their ground energy levels, they emit radiation at specific wavelengths. Scientists have cataloged spectral wavelengths of the elements and use that information to determine the presence of these elements in the Sun and other stars. Elements found on the Sun, using spectroscopy, include hydrogen and helium with smaller amounts of other elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, magnesium, silicone, sulfur, and iron.

Knowing which elements are present, and their ionization temperatures, allows scientists to determine the temperature of the various regions of the Sun. To ionize an atom enough energy has to be added to free electron(s) from the atom. For example iron, which in its neutral state has 26 electrons (Fe I), temperatures around 600,000 Kelvin create ions of Fe IX where eight electrons are freed. This process emits EUV radiation at a wavelength of 171 Å.

Principal Investigator: Dr. David McKenzie/NASA MSFC • Mission Number(s): 36.332 NS Launch site: White Sands Missile Range, NM • Launch date: April 11, 2019

Principal Investigator: Dr. David McKenzie/NASA MSFC • Mission Number(s): 36.332 NS Launch site: White Sands Missile Range, NM • Launch date: April 11, 2019

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Critical to understanding and predicting solar activity is the measure-ment and modeling of solar magnetic fields, which can only be quanti-fied via measurement of the slight polarization and/or de-polarization that magnetism imparts to the Sun’s light. The Chromospheric LAyer

Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP 2) mission successfully measured linear polarization of ultraviolet (UV) emission formed in the solar chromo-sphere, sensitive to a relatively wide range of magnetic fields through the

Hanle and magneto-optical effects, and sensitive to anisotropic scatter-ing of light from the Sun’s atmosphere. CLASP 2 also, and for the first time, measured the circular polarization in UV emission lines formed in the chromosphere, a vital diagnostic of magnetic field strength via the Zeeman effect. By measuring both the linear and circular polariza-tions in a wavelength range of 279.9nm +/- 0.45 nm, CLASP 2 enables measurement of all 4 Stokes parameters in chromospheric UV emis-sion for the first time. Coupled with sophisticated numerical modeling of scattering and magnetic effects, CLASP 2 is a pathfinder for future missions to routinely determine vector magnetic field in a portion of the

Sun’s atmosphere that is crucial for determining the flow of energy into the corona and solar wind, and the magnetic forces that power solar flares.

This mission was highly successful and excellent science was obtained. CLASP 2 targeted two regions on the

Sun – an aging active region plage, and quiet Sun near the solar limb – to sample a wide range of magnetic field strengths and photon scattering angles.

Chromospheric LAyer Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP) 2

CLASP 2 payload team.

CLASP 2 observed two targets with its spectrograph and its slitjaw context imager. This composite image combines the two fields of view to demonstrate the variety of conditions sampled by CLASP 2. The thin dark lines near the center of the image are the spectrograph slit at the two target locations. Image credit: Dr. Genevieve Vigil (NASA MSFC) and the CLASP 2 team.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Charles Kankelborg/Montana State University • Mission Number(s): 36.320 US Launch site: White Sands Missile Range, NM • Launch date: September 30, 2019

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ESIS was successfully launched from White Sands Missile

Range, NM on September 30, 2019, and collected data on the transistion region on the Sun. The transition region is part of the Sun's atmosphere, and is located between the relatively cool chromosphere below, and the superheated corona above.

Every few seconds, a small (approximately Earth sized) ex-plosion occurs somewhere on the solar disk. These transition region explosive events are an example of magnetic reconnec-tion, the same mechanism that is responsible for the much larger release of energy in solar flares. The purpose of ESIS mission was to observe these events in enough detail to char-acterize the triggering of and release of magnetic energy.

The new ESIS instrument mapped Doppler shifts and line widths, which correspond with bulk and turbulent velocities, in the transition region at a two second cadence in the 62.9 nm (O V) spectral line. ESIS was augmented by the Multi-

Order Solar EUV Spectrograph (MOSES), which can be configured for either 46.5 nm (Ne VII) or 30.4 nm (He II).

For this flight MOSES was configured for 46.5 nm, but did not collect data due to a malfunctioning shutter.

EUV Snapshot Imaging Spectrograph (ESIS)

ESIS payload team.

A low resolution, first look, at ESIS data. Labels indicate element and channel.

He I, Ch 1

He I, Ch 2

He I, Ch 3

He I, Ch 4

O V, Ch 1

O V Ch 2

O V, Ch 3

O V, Ch 4

Astrophysics Missions 2019

Electromagnetic Radiation

Visible light is what we are most familiar with on Earth. Visible light ranges in wavelength from 400 nm to 700 nm, with violet being the shortest wavelength and red the longest. Absorption and emission spectra of objects in the Universe reveal information about the elements present, the temperature, and density of those elements and the presence of a magnetic field and many other variables.

High energy and high temperature processes in the Universe radiate in the Ultraviolet (UV) part of the spectrum. Knowledge of star formation and evolution, growth of structure in the Universe, physics of jet phenomena on many scales, aurora on and atmospheric composition of the gas giant planets, and of the physics of protoplanetary disks, has been expanded through UV observations.

To emit X-rays, gas must be under extreme conditions, such as temperatures of millions of degrees, superstrong magnetic fields, or electrons must be moving at nearly the speed of light. Extreme conditions can be found in disks of matter orbiting black holes or in supernova remnants. X-rays are classified into two types: soft X-rays and hard X-rays. Soft X-rays fall in the range of the EM spectrum between UV light and Gamma Rays. Hard X-rays are very close to gamma-rays. The only difference between them is their source: hard X-rays are produced by accelerating electrons, while Gamma Rays are produced by atomic nuclei.

Astrophysics seeks to understand the universe and our place in it and aims to discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars. In 2019 two Astrophysics missions, studying various aspects of our Galaxy in the Ultraviolet part of the spectrum, were flown.

Spectrometers and telescopes are frequently flown onboard sounding rockets for Astrophysics research.

Telescopes focus the incoming radiation from a target object and spectrometers spread light out into specific wavelengths creating a spectra.

All atoms and molecules have characteristic spectra that produce absorption or emission lines at specific wavelengths. This allows scientists to extract information about composition, temperature, and other variables of the astronomical target of their study. Emission line spectra are created when an electron drops down to a lower orbit around the nucleus of an atom and loses energy. Absorption line spectra occur when electrons move to a higher orbit by absorbing energy.

Hydrogen absorption spectra in visible wavelengths.

Hydrogen emission spectra in visible wavelengths.

Continuos spectra are created by hot opaque objects.

An absorption spectrum is created when energy from a hot opaque object travels through cooler transparent gas.

Hot transparent gas, such as gaseous nebulae, create emission spectra.

Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Spectrograph (DEUCE)

DEUCE is a spectrograph operating from 650

– 1100Å. DEUCE is designed to measure how much ionizing photons B stars, such as the target star for the 2019 mission ε Canis Major, produce.

Suborbital Imaging Spectrograph for Transition region Irradiance from Nearby Exoplanet host stars

(SISTINE)

SISTINE is designed to allow the investigation of low-mass star UV environments and their effects on potential exoplanet atmospheres.

Background image credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC CC BY-SA 30 IGO

Principal Investigator: Dr. James Green/University of Colorado • Mission Number(s): 36.331 UG Launch site: White Sands Missile Range, NM • Launch date: December 18, 2018

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The Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Experiment

(DEUCE) is a spectrograph operating from 650 – 1100 Å. DEUCE was designed to measure how many ionizing photons B stars, such as the target star for this mission ε Canis Major, produce.

DEUCE has two modes; a low resolution, high throughput mode operating from 700 – 890 Å, and a high resolution, low throughput channel from 700 – 1100 Å. The stellar brightness changes dramati-cally above 912 Å and below 912 Å necessitating the two modes.

The change in intensity was unknown, and could range from 10/1 to

10,000/1. DEUCE was designed to measure the flux of local, early-type hot stars that have very little intervening absorbing material in the interstellar medium. Only two such stars exist, β and ε Canis

Major.

There were no preexisting measurements of the flux of these types of stars in the critical 700 – 900 Å regime, and the fundamental objective of DEUCE is to understand how bright these types of stars are in that regime.

This mission, in addition to providing scientific data, tested the largest ever flown microchannel plate detector for future large-scale space missions.

DEUCE launched on December 18, 2018. The flight was a success and recorded a high-quality spectrum in both channels.

Significant flux was recorded from 700 – 890 Å, represent-ing the first measurement of an early type star in the wavelength region. Analysis is ongoing, and presentation of the data is planned for the AAS meeting in January 2020.

Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Spectrograph (DEUCE)

DEUCE team with rocket.

DEUCE payload team.

Recovery of the DEUCE payload.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Kevin France/University of Colorado • Mission Number(s): 36.346 UG Launch site: White Sands Missile Range, NM • Launch date: August 11, 2019

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NASA and the University of Colorado at Boulder collaborated to launch an astrophysics experiment into Earth’s near-space environment in order to study the ultraviolet radiation environment around low-mass stars and the effects of that UV on potential exoplanet atmospheres. The NASA/CU 36.346 UG –

France mission launched from White Sands Missile Range, NM, on August 11, 2019.

This celestial payload was the first flight of the Suborbital Imaging Spec-trograph for Transition region Irradiance from Nearby Exoplanet host stars

(SISTINE). This new 22” telescope payload utilizes heritage detector control systems and acts as a technology testbed for enhanced lithium fluoride (eLiF) coatings on large optics and large format detectors.

Characterization of exoplanet atmospheres, including the potential for habitability, requires an understanding of the interaction with the host star's ultraviolet (UV) radiation environment. Nearby solar-type stars and red dwarfs host our best opportunities to characterize potentially inhabited worlds, and many of these systems will be searched for biomarkers by NASA's future flagship missions. Far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation impacts chemicals such as H2O, CO2, and CH4. The host star's HI Ly α is a significant contributor to these effects and can also be used as a proxy for the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) flux from the host star. EUV flux is likely to have a significant effect on atmospheric mass loss on exoplanets but is difficult to measure directly due to attenuation by the interstellar medium (ISM). Additionally, flare activity in the FUV can be correlated to large ejections of charged particles that can heavily affect O3 quantity in an atmosphere. SISTINE's imaging capability and spectral resolution allow the investigation of low-mass star UV environments and their effects on potential exoplanet atmospheres. SISTINE provides spectral coverage from 100 - 160nm, a range not cov-ered by, at moderate spectral resolution, any current orbital asset; this range spans strong atomic emission lines tracing various formation temperatures in the stellar atmosphere: 104 K (Ly-α, 121 nm), 105 K (C IV, 155 nm), and 105.5 K (O VI, 103 nm).

For this mission, SISTINE aimed to characterize the instrument performance and demonstrate the advanced optical coatings and detectors for future NASA missions. All technology was successfully demonstrated in flight on 36.346 UG. This calibration mission was also designed to study how the outer envelopes of stars are disperesed back into the interstellar medium by observing the space target NGC 6828, a planetary nebula, however, science data was not successfully collected.

Suborbital Imaging Spectrograph for Transition region Irradiance from Nearby Exoplanet host stars (SISTINE)

SISTINE payload team.

Recovery of the SISTINE payload.

VISualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral atom imaging during a Substorm (VISIONS) 2

VISIONS-2’s main objective was to investigate upward acceleration of ions along the magnetic field lines in order to understand the wave-particle interaction that accelerates oxygen ions above 10eV to escape the Earth gravitation.

Twin Rockets to Investigate Cusp Electrodynamics (TRICE) 2

The TRICE-2 main objective was to investigate whether the magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause is steady or pulsed. As magnetic reconnection is the major external driver for vertical dynamics in the auroral zone atmosphere, this is a key Earth system science question.

Cusp Alfven and Plasma Electrodynamics Rocket (CAPER) 2

CAPER-2 explored the physical nature of magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) coupling in terms of waves and acceleration processes.

Geospace Missions 2019

Background image: Earth's Magnetosphere/Trond Abrahamsen/Andoya Space Center

Auroral Zone Upwelling Rocket Experiment (AZURE)

The AZURE mission was designed to make measurements of the atmospheric density and temperature with instruments on the rockets and deploying visible gas tracers, trimethyl aluminum (TMA) and a barium/strontium mixture, which ionizes when exposed to sunlight.

Waves and Instabilities from a Neutral Dynamo (Too Windy) 2

Data from Too-WINDY will aid in answering questions about the origin of Equatorial Spread F (ESF) by measuring the influence of horizontal thermospheric winds on the formation of ESF, as well as, taking measurements of ionospheric densities and electric and magnetic fields.

Geospace Science missions in 2019 focused on the Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI) – Cusp, a series of international sounding rocket missions from Norway. Four of the NASA sounding rocket science missions were launched in FY 2019; VISIONS 2, TRICE 2, CAPER 2 and AZURE. Two additional NASA science missions, Cusp Heating Investigation (CHI) and Cusp-Region EXperiment (C-REX 2), as well as, two international missions will be launched in FY 2020.

On the other side of the globe, in the Marshall Islands, the Waves and Instabilities from a Neutral Dynamo (Too WINDY) 2, investigated a phenomenon called Equatorial Spread F (ESF). Two sounding rockets were launched to investigate the origins and evolution of ESF.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Douglas Rowland/NASA GSFC • Mission Number(s): 35.039 & 040 GE Launch site: Ny Alesund, Svalbard, Norway • Launch date: December 7, 2018

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VISIONS-2’s main objective is to investigate upward acceleration of ions along the magnetic field lines in order to understand the wave-particle interaction that accelerates oxygen ions above 10eV to escape the Earth gravita-tion.

VISIONS-1, launched from Poker Flat Research Range in 2013, observed the ion outflow at night from the polar auroral zones.

VISIONS-2, observed the phenomenon during the day from Earth's magnetic cusp. The two VISIONS-2 payloads were launched from

Ny-Ålesund, Norway, on December 7, 2018, through the mag-netic cusp, to apogees near 600 (low flyer) and 800 (high flyer) km.

During flight, the two payloads remotely sensed ion outflow and its drivers over a region approximately 1000 km in diameter, providing critical information about the patchiness and burstiness of cusp ion outflow, as well as, detailed information about the mechanisms that drive this outflow, leading to a new understanding of the mechanisms that couple the magnetosphere:

1) What is the total low-altitude (<1000 km) ion outflow at energies

> 10 eV from the cusp under typical Bz south conditions?

2) How spatially and temporally variable is this outflow?

3) How is the outflow tied in detail to drivers and sources of free energy (e.g. auroral electron precipitation, convection, Joule heating)?

The cusps are regions near the Earth's poles where the magnetic field lines dip down toward the ground. These regions are the strongest source of outflowing ions. When the ions are present, which is not all the time, they have dramatic effects on near-Earth space. Among other things, they can affect the rate at which solar-wind energy is transferred to the magnetosphere, and the rate and details of how this stored energy is released to produce aurora. In addition, a better understanding of the outflow could shed light on why Mars, which has a very weak magnetic field, is losing its atmosphere, while Venus, which has no magnetic field at all, remains enshrouded in a thick atmosphere.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provided the principal instrument, the Miniaturized Imager for Low-Ener-gy Neutral Atoms (MILENA). It traces its heritage to an instrument that flew on the U.S. Air Force-sponsored

FASTSAT mission in 2011. Goddard also provided the Fields and Thermal Plasma package, which consisted of a double-probe electric field instrument. The Aerospace Corp. provided the Rocket-borne Auroral Imager, the

Energetic Ion Analyzer, and the Energetic Electron Analyzer.

Data from VISIONS-2 will aid in the understanding of the physics that influence Earth's magnetosphere.

VISualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral atom imaging during a Substorm (VISIONS) 2

One of the VISIONS-2 being prepared for deployment testing.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Craig Kletzing/University of Iowa • Mission Number(s): 52.003 & 004 UE Launch site: Andoya Space Center, Norway • Launch date: December 8, 2018

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One of the TRICE payloads mounted on the MOI test table.

Twin Rockets to Investigate Cusp Electrodynamics (TRICE) 2

Two four-stage Black Brant XII-A rockets were flown from Andoya Space Center, Norway in support of the

TRICE-2 mission. The main objective of TRICE-2 was to investigate whether the magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause is steady or pulsed. As magnetic reconnection is the major external driver for vertical dynamics in the auroral zone atmo-sphere, this is a key Earth system science question. Magnetic reconnection is anticipated to modulate the thermosphere as well as the ionosphere.

With a single rocket or satellite it is not possible to unambiguously distin-guish between steady state reconnection from multiple reconnection sites and pulsed reconnection. The TRICE-2 approach was to fly two sounding rockets simultaneously from Andøya Space Center, Norway over Svalbard, Norway, one high-flying and one low-flying, both at the same magnetic coordinates. Except when they are on the top of each other, there will always be one lagging behind the other, allowing assessment of whether the magnetic reconnection process is a steady state or time varying.

Data from the TRICE-2 mission is being analyzed.

Principal Investigator: Dr. James Labelle/Dartmouth College • Mission Number(s): 52.005 UE Launch site: Andoya Space Center, Norway • Launch date: January 4, 2019

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CAPER-2 explored the physical nature of magnetosphere-iono-sphere (MI) coupling in terms of waves and acceleration processes.

There are at least two separate electron acceleration processes of broad significance to space plasma physics: acceleration in electrostatic electric fields and in time-varying electromagnetic fields associated with Alfvén waves. In addition, a host of microscopic wave modes play a role in redistributing energy from the resulting electron beams to the thermal plasma, including most ubiquitously Langmuir waves. While many previous rocket experiments have probed nightside processes such as polar substorms, the data from CAPER-2 will make significant advances in understanding electrodynamics associated with MI coupling in the cusp.

CAPER-2 flew somewhat low and to the east of nominal trajectory, but it still achieved mission success by spending several minutes in the cusp at altitudes above 600 km. Significant Alfvén wave power and hundreds of

Langmuir wave bursts were observed, which will allow the principal CAPER-2 science objective, assessment of wave-particle interactions in the cusp, to be achieved. An unexpected discovery was very low frequency waves emanating from the cusp and observed by CAPER-2 in the minutes preceding its encounter with the cusp.

These waves show distinctive features which may allow the locations and physical processes of cusp electron precipitation to be detected remotely from up to 100 km away.

Cusp Alfven and Plasma Electrodynamics Rocket (CAPER) 2

CAPER-2 in the Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) testing facility.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Miguel Larsen/Clemson University • Mission Number(s): 51.001 & 002 UE Launch site: Andoya Space Center, Norway • Launch date: April 5, 2019

A u r o ra l Zo ne U p w el li ng

R o c ke t E xp er im en t

(A

ZU

R E

The AZURE mission was designed to make measurements of the atmospheric density and temperature with instruments on the rockets and winds by deploying the visible gas tracers, trimethyl aluminum (TMA) and a barium/strontium mixture, which ionizes when exposed to sunlight. Two three-stage Black Brant XI-A, were launched two minutes apart, from Andoya Space Center in Norway The vapors were released over the Nor-wegian Sea at 71 to 150 miles altitude. By tracking the movement of these tracers, using groundbased pho-tography and triangulating, their moment-by-moment position in three dimensions were obtained. AZURE provided valuable data on the vertical and horizontal flow of particles in two key regions of the ionosphere, the

E and F regions. The results will be key to a better understanding of the effects of auroral forcing on the atmo-sphere, including how and where the auroral energy is deposited.

The ionosphere is the electrically charged layer of the atmosphere that acts as Earth’s interface to space. The ionosphere has two regions, E and F. The E region — so-named by early radio pioneers who discovered the re-gion was electrically charged, and could reflect radio waves — lies between 56 to 93 miles above Earth’s surface.

The F region resides just above it, between 93 and 310 miles altitude. Both regions contain free electrons that have been ejected from their atoms by the energizing input of the Sun’s rays, a process called photoionization.

After nightfall, without the energizing input of the Sun to keep them separated, electrons recombine with the positively charged ions they left behind, lowering the regions’ overall electron density. The daily cycle of ioniza-tion and recombination makes the E and F regions especially turbulent and complex.

Auroral Zone Upwelling Rocket Experiment (AZURE)

Vapor tracers released by AZURE.

Using vapor tracers and instruments, AZURE focused specifically on measuring the vertical winds in these regions, which re-distribute the energy, momentum and chemical constituents of the atmosphere. Existing wind measurements from ground-based instruments show evidence of significant structure at horizontal scales be-tween 6 miles and 60 miles wide in both the charged particle drifts and the neutral winds. But so far, the in-situ scientific measurements of winds have been limited to a narrow set of altitudes — and those measurements do not fit predictions. AZURE extends the range of measurements by using distributed vapor tracer deployments.

Dr. Miguel Larsen received the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2019.

Citation: In recognition of pioneering research to measure vertical profiles of the Earth's upper atmospheric winds & leading over 100 NASA sounding rockets during 40 years of research.

From the award nomination: Dr. Larsen is the undisputed world leader of wind profiles in the upper atmosphere. He has designed and built experiments that were subsequently flown on over 100 NASA sounding rockets, launched at high, mid, and low latitudes. Accordingly, he is frequently sought by researchers throughout our nation whether from academia, NASA, or DoD research organizations. He has also participated in many international research projects, most notably with Japanese and European research scientists. The contributions from Dr. Larsen’s fundamental research cannot be overstated. Having pro-vided fundamental knowledge of our planet’s upper atmosphere and having secured a solid foundation for future explorations, Dr. Larsen’s distinguished abilities and vision have left an indelible impact on NASA’s mission and our Nation’s atmospheric research community.

Principal Investigator: Dr. David Hysell/Cornell University • Mission Number(s): 36.344 & 345 UE Launch site: Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands • Launch date: June 19, 2019

W av es a nd I ns ta b il it ie s fr o m a

N eu tr al

D yn am o To o W in dy

Waves and Instabilities from a Neutral Dynamo (Too Windy) 2

Two rockets were part of the Too-WINDY mission. The first Black Brant IX sounding rocket was successfully launched at 11:28 UTC June 19, 2019 and was followed five minutes later by a second Black Brant IX rocket.

The first rocket flew to approximately 375 km altitude and released vapor trails of tri-methyl aluminum (TMA) and lithium, to allow scientists to measure winds and energetic particles in the upper atmosphere. The second rocket, carrying an instrumented payload, reached an altitude of approximately 414 km.

The ionosphere is defined as the layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that is ionized by solar and cosmic radiation.

Ionization occurs when incoming energetic radiation strips electrons from atoms and molecules, creating tem-porarily charged particles. The nighttime ionosphere has two layers, E and F. Disturbances in the F layer, the layer studied by Too-WINDY, degrade radio and radar signals at low magnetic latitudes. Predicting when these disturbances will occur would improve the reliability of space-borne and ground-based communication systems.

Data from Too-WINDY will aid in answering questions about the origin of ESF by measuring the influence of horizontal thermospheric winds on the formation of ESF, as well as, taking measurements of ionospheric densi-ties and electric and magnetic fields.

An important element of these experiments involved measurements of the atmospheric winds at high altitudes.

Just as on the ground, winds at very high altitudes carry a tremendous amount of energy and are known to

Too WINDY payload teams with rockets on Roi Namur.

have a direct effect on the ionospheric disruptions that are the focus of Too-WINDY. Wind measurements at these altitudes are difficult because of the very low atmospheric density. Over the past five decades, several tracer techniques have been perfected to accomplish this by optical tracking of visible gases released from the rockets.

Lithium vapor and trimethyl aluminum (TMA) gas have been particularly effective. TMA reacts spontaneously on contact with oxygen to produce a pale white glow visible from the ground. For the Too-WINDY mission, sunlight reflected by the Moon will illuminate the lithium, producing an emission that can be detected with cameras equipped with narrow-band filters. The lithium under these illumination conditions, rather than twilight conditions, is not visible to the naked eye and is harder to track. Using moonlight for illumination allows the launches to occur later in the evening, when the critical ESF conditions occur. Both gases, which are harmless when released at these altitudes, move with the background atmosphere and can therefore be used to determine the wind speeds and direction over the height ranges where the releases occur.

The two rockets, both Terrier-Black Brant sounding rockets, were launched nearly simultaneously into a ESF event. The TMA tracers were deployed both on the upleg and downleg parts of the trajectory and occurred be-tween 80 and 180 km, in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere region (MLT). The Lithium deployments occurred on the upleg of the trajectory between 250 - 350 km, in the thermosphere.

Data from the ARPA Long-Range Tracking and Instrumentation Radar (ALTAIR) was used to monitor the state of the upper atmosphere/ionosphere in order to determine when the large-scale disruptions occurred and thus when to launch the rockets. ALTAIR was also be used to monitor the evolution of the ESF after the launches.

TooWINDY ready to launch from Roi Namur

Education Missions

RockOn!

Level 1

RockSat-X Level 2 Level 3 RockSat-C

R o c kS at -X

N

Principal Investigator: Mr. Chris Koehler/Colorado Space Grant Consortium• Mission Number(s): 46.018 UO Launch site: Andoya Space Center, Norway • Launch date: January 13, 2019

The international cooperative effort - Grand Challenge Initiative - Cusp, a collaboration and data sharing effort between Norway, Japan and the United States, was augumented with an international student mission with par-ticipants from the same countries. RockSat-XN utilizes the well established RockSat-X mission architecture (see page 28) and allows students to design and build experiments that are exposed to the space environment. This mission differs from the historical RockSat-X architecture in two major ways: it was launched from Norway, and it incorporated foreign national participation. Unlike previous RockSat-X payloads, RockSat-XN was not recovered.

The following student experiments flew on this mission:

University of Norway – Tromso (UiT)

Detected and measured distribution of neutral Mesospheric Smoke Particles (MSP) in the winter Mesosphere.

University of Oslo (UiO)

Released six sub-payload modules (daughters) and established communication and measured small-scale elec-tron density using Langmuir probe systems deployed on the daughters.

University of Tokyo (PARM)

Observed the incoming Pulsating Aurora (PsA) electrons in a wide energy range from a few tens of keV to a few

MeV with onboard particle detectors. Observed the temporal/spatial variations of PsA with an onboard opti-cal instrument.

RockSat-XN

Pennsylvania State University (PSU)

Contributed to the understanding of cause(s) of Polar Mesosphere Winter Echoes (PMWEs) by using instru-ments to collect measurements and compare data to a ground radar devoted to measuring PMWEs during the experiment.

Capital Technology University (CTU)

Identified atmospheric composition through spectral analysis and/or capture, as well as, verified functionality of modified Aerogel thermal insulation.

University of New Hampshire (UNH)

Observed directly (Nitric Oxide) NO air afterglow emissions vs. altitude. Calculated NO densities and en-hancements vs. typical background values.

University of Puerto Rico (UPR)

The experiment consisted of the collection and analysis of organic compounds located inside the aurora borealis trail.

o c kO n

Principal Investigator: Mr. Chris Koehler/Colorado Space Grant Consortium• Mission Number(s): 41.126 UO Launch site: Wallops Island, VA • Launch date: June 20, 2019

The RockOn! workshop was held at NASA Wallops Flight Facility, June

16 - 21, 2019. Eighty nine students and faculty members participated in this year's workshop, which was the 12th since the inception of the program in 2008. RockSat-C experiments are flown in the same rocket as the workshop experiments but are more advanced and completely designed and fabricated by the students. Eighty-nine students par-ticipated in the RockOn workshop and 95 in the RockSat-C flight opportunity.

The goal of the RockOn missions is to teach university faculty and students the basics of rocket payload construction and integration.

RockOn also acts as the first step in the RockSat series of flight op-portunities, and workshop participants are encouraged to return the following year to design, build, test, and fly their own experiment. The

RockOn experiments are designed to capture and record 3-axis acceler-ations, humidity, pressure, temperature, radiation counts, and rotation rates over the course of the mission. All items and instruction necessary to complete the experiment are provided for the participants during the workshop week, and teams of students and faculty work together to build their experiment. The workshop culminates with the launch of the experiments on a Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket.

RockSat-C offers students an opportunity to fly more complex experi-ments of their own design and construction. The intent is to provide hands-on experiences to students and faculty advisors to better equip them for supporting the future technical workforce needs of the United

States and/or helping those students and faculty advisors become prin-cipal investigators on future NASA science missions. Teaming between educational institutions and industry or other interests is encouraged.

Cubes in Space is a program for middle school students that allows them the opportunity to design an experiment that fits in a 40 x 40 x 40 mm cube. The cubes were flown inside the nose cone of the

RockOn! payload. Seventy-five middle school experiments, with ap-proximately 375 participating students, were flown on the RockOn!

mission.

RockOn & RockSat-C

RockOn website: https://spacegrant.colorado.edu/rockon-home/rockon-2019-home

RockSat-C website: https://spacegrant.colorado.edu/rs-c-home/previous-experiments/rs-c-2019-home o c kS at -X

Principal Investigator: Mr. Chris Koehler/Colorado Space Grant Consortium• Mission Number(s): 46.022 UO Launch site: Wallops Island, VA • Launch date: August 12, 2019

RockSat-X was successfully launched from Wallops Island, VA on August 12, 2019. RockSat-X carried student developed experiments and is the third, and most advanced, student flight opportunity. RockSat-X experiments are fully exposed to the space environment above the atmosphere. Power and telemetry were provided to each experiment deck. Additionally, this payload included an

Attitude Control System (ACS) for alignment of the payload. These ameni-ties allow experimenters to spend more time on experiment design and less on power and data storage systems.

The following experiments were flown on RockSat-X in 2019:

Community Colleges of Colorado

The Debris Orbital Tumbler and Thermal Sensor (DOTTS) project is a col-laboration between three community colleges in Colorado: Arapahoe Com-munity College, Community College of Aurora, and Red Rocks Community

College. Their primary experiment was to develop a cost-effective method to alter the trajectory of space debris in suborbital flight.

College of the Canyons

The goal of the Mesospheric Autorotational Payload Lander Experiment

(MAPLE) was to create a versatile reentry system that uses autorotation to reduce velocity while gathering kinematic and environmental data to determine the concept’s efficiency and reliability.

University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky improved upon an experiment flown in 2017 that tested data acquisition, communication, and thermal protection of a small reentry capsule. This year’s experiment is one of the last stages of the devel-opment which aims to increase the technology readiness level (TRL) of the capsule to TRL 7.

University of Maryland

The Space Characterization and Assessment of Manipulator Performance

(SCAMP) II project was a continuation of the experiment, first flown in 2018, and consisted of a functional robotic manipulator component in a microgravity environment to test contact stability on both hard and soft contacts.

RockSat-X

University of Nebraska Lincoln

The University of Nebraska Lincoln’s mission looked to further develop and streamline the mechanism for a deployable boom system started by NASA Langley Research Center. The boom is designed to be easily deployed and retracted for application in various space-based experiments.

University of Puerto Rico

The University of Puerto Rico’s mission was to collect micrometeorites in the Meteor…