NASA Rockets ‘CT Scan’ Auroral Electricity from Alaska

NASA has successfully launched two sounding rocket missions from Alaska to investigate the electrical forces driving the aurora borealis. The Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor and the Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science (GNEISS) mission, pronounced “nice,” launched from the Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska.

Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor Launch

The Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor launched on February 9, 2026, at 3:29 a.m. AKST (7:29 a.m. EST), reaching a peak altitude of approximately 224 miles (360 kilometers). Principal investigator Marilia Samara reported that all instruments, including technology demonstrations, performed as expected, and the mission returned high-quality data. NASA

GNEISS Mission: A Two-Rocket Launch

The GNEISS mission followed with a back-to-back launch on February 10, 2026, at 1:19:00 a.m. And 1:19:30 a.m. AKST (5:19:00 a.m. And 5:19:30 a.m. EST). The two rockets reached peak altitudes of approximately 198.3 miles (319.06 kilometers) and 198.8 miles (319.94 kilometers), respectively. Principal investigator Kristina Lynch reported that ground stations, subpayloads, and instrument booms all functioned as expected, and the team is pleased with both the launch and the data collected. NASA

Understanding the Auroral Electrical Circuit

The aurora borealis is powered by electrons streaming from space into Earth’s upper atmosphere, energizing atmospheric gases and causing them to glow. This process is analogous to electricity flowing through a wire to power a lightbulb. Yet, electricity moves in loops, and the aurora is only one part of a larger electrical pathway. Electrons must return to space to complete the circuit.

The incoming electron beams are focused, while the return flow is scattered, shaped by collisions, winds, pressure differences, and electric and magnetic fields.

GNEISS: Creating a 3D Scan of Auroral Electricity

To understand how the returning current closes the circuit, scientists need to map the routes electricity takes through the sky. The GNEISS mission aims to create a three-dimensional picture of the aurora’s electrical environment.

“We’re not just interested in where the rocket flies,” said Kristina Lynch, principal investigator for GNEISS and a professor at Dartmouth College. “We want to know how the current spreads downward through the atmosphere.”

GNEISS used two rockets, each releasing four subpayloads to take measurements within the aurora. As the rockets flew overhead, they transmitted radio signals through the surrounding plasma to receivers on the ground. Changes in these signals, similar to how X-rays are altered during a CT scan, allowed scientists to determine plasma density and identify where electrical currents flow. NASA

Why Mapping Auroral Currents Matters

Understanding these electrical currents is crucial because they control how energy from space is distributed through Earth’s upper atmosphere. These currents heat the atmosphere, create winds, and generate turbulence that can affect satellites. Researchers combine data from ground-based instruments, NASA’s EZIE satellite mission (launched in March 2025), and sounding rockets to examine the system from multiple angles. NASA

“If we can put the in situ measurements together with the ground-based imagery, then we can learn to read the aurora,” Lynch said.

Investigating Black Auroras

The Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor focused on black auroras – dark regions within the aurora. These areas may indicate reversals in electrical current direction. NASA The mission is designed to explore the processes responsible for creating the optical variations observable within the diffuse aurora and will specifically target the black aurora (BA). NASA

Sounding rockets provide a unique opportunity to fly directly through auroras, placing instruments where the action unfolds. These brief, precisely timed missions are helping NASA gain deeper insights into how space weather shapes our planet’s upper atmosphere.