Vandenberg Hosts NASA TRACERS Mission Brief

Dr. David Miles, Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) principal investigator and University of Iowa astrophysicist, conducts a mission brief at the Vandenberg Space Force Base Space and Missile Technology Center, Calif., July 21, 2025. Members of Vandenberg SFB, NASA, the University of Iowa, and the local community joined together for the mission brief hosted by multiple speakers. Together, the speakers shared more about NASA’s TRACERS mission, scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base no earlier than July 22, 2025. NASA’s TRACERS mission will help researchers understand magnetic reconnection and its effects in Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic reconnection occurs when activity from the Sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for impacts of solar activity on Earth. (U.S. Space Force photo by 2d Lt Andrew Taller)