NASA's Rocket Launch to Study Annular Solar Eclipse's Shadow

NASA scientists will launch three sounding rockets as part of the Atmospheric Perturbations around the Eclipse Path (APEP) mission to measure changes in the atmosphere during the annular solar eclipse on October 14. The rockets will target the ionosphere, where temperature and density changes during the eclipse can affect satellite communications. The data collected will help understand and model the perturbations in the ionosphere caused by eclipses. The rockets will also be relaunched during the total solar eclipse in 2024.