ATREX - NASA

This month NASA will launch 5 sounding rockets to reach a height of 60 - 65 miles above the surface of the Earth.  Called ATREX, which stands for, "The Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment, is a project to study the High altitude Jet Streams which are higher than the  common jet streams used in weather forecasts. These High Jet Streams travel at incredible speeds up to 200- 300 miles an hour and are located near the area in our upper atmosphere that also has strong electrical currents triggered by solar radiation that reaches the Earth.  These strong electrical currents in the Ionosphere, have an effect on radio and communication satellites.  The five rockets that will be launched and possibly visible by those living near the Mid Atlantic area, will distribute a chemical tracer that will leave a milky clouds to track these Jet Streams.

Please be on the lookout for these five NASA rockets on March 15th, and may be seen sometime between midnight and 1:30 AM Eastern.  From the photo below you can see the area where cameras will be set up from New Jersey to North Carolina to view the pigmented clouds.

Correction:  * Latest update, Rockets launch postponed until Sunday, March 18th  *

Information and photo courtesy of NASA;  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/missions/atrex.html