Painting the Skies: NASA’s TOMEX+ Mission and the Science of the Mesopause
Painting the Skies: NASA’s TOMEX+ Mission and the Science of the Mesopause Introduction: A Light Show With a Purpose On the night of August 26, 2025, the skies over the U.S. East Coast could light up with shimmering, colorful vapor trails. Far from a random spectacle, these streaks are part of NASA’s TOMEX+ mission, a groundbreaking experiment launched from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The project involves three sounding rockets that will release chemical tracers, producing luminous clouds visible across much of the Mid-Atlantic. While the public marvels at the sight, scientists will use this opportunity to probe one of the least understood layers of Earth’s atmosphere: the mesopause, the ultra-cold region about 85 kilometers above the surface. This mission represents both the cutting edge of atmospheric science and a striking example of how research can engage and inspire the public. The Mesopause: Earth’s Coldest Frontier The mesopause is a mysterious boundary between the mes...