NASA launches two rockets to study northern lights electrical currents

NASA launches two missions to map aurora's electrical circuit

NASA has successfully launched two sounding rocket missions from Alaska to study the electrical currents that power the northern lights. The missions, named the Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor and the Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science (GNEISS), lifted off from the Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks.

The Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor launched on February 9 at 3:29 a.m. AKST. Principal investigator Marilia Samara reported that all instruments performed as planned and the mission returned high-quality data.

The two-rocket GNEISS mission followed with a dramatic back-to-back launch on February 10. The rockets reached peak altitudes of approximately 198.3 miles and 198.8 miles, respectively. Principal investigator Kristina Lynch said the team is pleased with both the launch and the initial data.

How the aurora forms an electrical loop

The visible glow of the aurora is powered by electrons streaming from space into Earth's upper atmosphere. These particles energize gases, causing them to light up, similar to electricity powering a lightbulb.

This process is part of a larger electrical circuit. For electrons to flow into the atmosphere, they must also have a return path to space to complete the loop. The incoming particle beams are focused, but the return flow is scattered and complex.

After igniting the aurora, electrons spread out in many directions. Their motion is shaped by collisions, winds, and magnetic fields before they eventually weave their way back to space.

GNEISS creates a 3D scan of the sky

The GNEISS mission was designed to map how this returning electrical current closes the circuit. "We want to know how the current spreads downward through the atmosphere," said principal investigator Kristina Lynch, a professor at Dartmouth College.

The mission used two rockets and a coordinated network of ground receivers to build a three-dimensional picture. "It's essentially like doing a CT scan of the plasma beneath the aurora," Lynch said.

The two rockets launched side-by-side into the same aurora, each releasing four subpayloads to take measurements at multiple points. As they flew, the rockets transmitted radio signals through the surrounding plasma to ground receivers.

• The plasma altered the signals as they passed through, similar to how body tissues alter X-rays.
• By analyzing these changes, scientists can determine plasma density and map where electrical currents flow.
• The result is a large-scale, CT-style scan of the aurora's electrical environment.

Why mapping these currents matters

Understanding auroral currents is crucial for space weather research. These currents control how energy from space is distributed through Earth's upper atmosphere.

When currents spread out, they heat the atmosphere, stir up winds, and create turbulence. This turbulence can affect satellites traveling through the region.

Researchers combine data from multiple sources to build a complete picture. NASA's EZIE satellite mission, launched in March 2025, measures these currents from orbit. By adding satellite data and ground imagery to direct rocket measurements, scientists can examine the system from all angles.

"If we can put the in situ measurements together with the ground-based imagery, then we can learn to read the aurora," Lynch said.

Investigating dark patches in the glow

The other mission, the Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor, focused on unusual dark regions within auroras known as black auroras. These blank spots may mark areas where electrical currents suddenly reverse direction.

This launch was the mission's second attempt after a 2025 effort was postponed. The new data will help researchers understand how these dark patches fit into the broader electrical circuit.

Sounding rockets provide a rare chance to fly instruments directly through an aurora as it happens. Through these brief, precisely timed missions, NASA is turning fleeting light shows into deeper insight about how space weather shapes our planet.