WALLOPS ISLAND, Va., Oct. 7 (UPI) -- In an effort to better understand "the naturally occurring flows of ionized and neutral particles" in the upper atmosphere, NASA is releasing a series of colorful vapor tracers 130 miles above the Earth.
The tracers will be released by a sounding rocket, set to launch between 7 and 9 p.m. EST from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Approximately six minutes after launch, four sub-payloads will release a mixture of barium and strontium.