NASA to launch 5 rockets to study high-altitude jet stream

The Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment will gather information needed to better understand the process responsible for the high-altitude jet stream located 60 to 65 miles above the surface of the Earth.

As part the mission, the five rockets will release a chemical tracer that will form milky, white clouds that allow scientists and the public to "see" the winds in space, NASA said. These clouds may be visible for up to 20 minutes by residents from South Carolina to southern New Hampshire and Vermont.

The high-altitude jet stream is higher than the one commonly reported in weather forecasts. The winds found in this upper jet stream typically have speeds of 200 to well over 300 miles per hour and create rapid transport from the Earth's mid latitudes to the polar regions.

This jet stream is located in the same region where strong electrical currents occur in the ionosphere. It is therefore a region with a lot of electrical turbulence, of the type that can adversely affect satellite and radio communications.

Source: Xinhua