NASA is headed for three space missions next month during the total solar eclipse on April 8, from its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Named Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP), these rockets will lift off 45 minutes before, during and 45 minutes after the peak local eclipse.
With this strategic timing, the United States space agency aims to gather data on how the sudden dimming of sunlight during an eclipse impacts the ionosphere, causing disturbances that could disrupt communications, it said in a statement.
The purpose of these space missions is to delve into the study of atmospheric disturbances triggered by the solar eclipse and gain an insight of its possible impact on satellite signals and radio frequencies.
Hence, the launched rockets will carry specific equipment into the ionosphere to accomplish the objective. The study would focus on atmospheric disturbances triggered by the eclipse that could interfere with satellite signals and radio frequencies.
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