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Wallops Flight Facility

Launch updates from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

Viewing Posts from August 2025

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    NASA Sounding Rocket Mission Targeting Aug. 25 Launch Attempt

    The TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission is targeting Monday, Aug. 25, for the first launch attempt. The window will open 10 p.m.-3 a.m. EDT. Follow live updates on Wallops Facebook and X, with a livestream beginning five minutes before launch.

    Those in the mid-Atlantic region may catch a glimpse of the rockets, weather permitting.

    A visibility map showing the mid-Atlantic region. The map shows how many seconds after launch people in the area may be able to see the sounding rocket in the sky. The land is green and the ocean is dark blue. Visibility of 30-44 seconds is represented by a purple semi-circle reaching north to Massachusetts, west to West Virginia, and almost as south as Wilmington, North Carolina. 10-30 seconds is represented by a bright blue semi-circle reaching north to New Jersey, west into Virginia, and south to the upper part of North Carolina. Visibility from 0-10 seconds is indicated by a bright green semi-circle mostly covering the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. On the right is a black box with white words: "Colors indicate when viewers will have line-of-sight access to the vehicle, with 3° elevation or more. Measured in seconds after takeoff.
    Launch visibility map indicating visibility zones for when the TOMEX+ rockets will be visible, in seconds after launch: green (0-10 sec), blue (10-30 sec), and purple (30-40+ sec).
    NASA

    TOMEX+ Launch Update – Aug. 22

    The TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission launch attempt for Sunday, Aug. 24, will be rescheduled to a later date due to cloud cover and continued high sea states in the recovery area. The teams are evaluating a new launch attempt for the upcoming week. The window for the mission runs through Sept. 3. 

    New Mexico Scientific Balloon Campaign Update- Aug. 21

    Aug. 21, 2025: The Salter Test Flight launched at 9:21 a.m. EDT (7:21 a.m. MDT) Thursday, Aug. 21 from the agency’s balloon launch facility, marking the first successful balloon flight of the campaign. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 124,000 feet, and flew for a total of 5 hours, 4 minutes. The hardware test flight reported a healthy balloon and flight systems, and requirements were met before successful termination. Several smaller payloads, or piggyback missions, rode along to support science and technology development, including numerous student experiments. Recovery efforts are underway.  

    Aerial view of a high-altitude scientific balloon launch preparation in a desert setting at sunset. The white balloon is partially inflated and tethered to a launch vehicle, with support vehicles and personnel positioned around the launch area on a cracked desert surface
    NASA's high-altitude scientific balloon being prepared for launch at Fort Sumner, N.M., during the agency's 2024 fall balloon campaign. The mission carried research instruments to the stratosphere to conduct experiments above 99.5% of Earth's atmosphere.
    NASA/Francis Reddy

    TOMEX+ Launch Update – Aug. 21

    The TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission is now targeting no earlier than Sunday, Aug. 24, for the first launch attempt due to high sea states in the recovery area from Hurricane Erin.

    TOMEX+ Launch Update – Aug. 20

    The TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission is now targeting no earlier than Saturday, Aug. 23, for the first launch attempt due to high sea states in the recovery area from Hurricane Erin.

    Three sounding rockets, each on their own launch pad, standing vertical at a nearly 90 degree angle. One rocket is closest to the camera in the center. The other two flank it, sitting farther away. In the foreground is a grassy green hill, and beside each rocket is a long white building.
    Three sounding rockets for the TOMEX+ mission are raised vertical on their launch pads during a mission dress rehearsal on August 20, 2025, in Wallops Island, Virginia.
    NASA/Danielle Johnson

    TOMEX+ Launch Update – Aug. 19

    The TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission is now targeting no earlier than Friday, Aug. 22, for the first launch attempt due to cloud cover and high sea states in the recovery area from Hurricane Erin.

    TOMEX+ Launch Update – Aug. 18

    The TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission is now targeting no earlier than Thursday, Aug. 21, for the first launch attempt due to cloud cover in the area and high sea states from Hurricane Erin.

    TOMEX+ Launch Update – Aug. 17

    The TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission is now targeting no earlier than Tuesday, Aug. 19, for the first launch attempt due to expected cloud cover in the area and down range camera sites. The mission needs clear skies in order to launch.

    NASA’s TOMEX+ Rocket to Track Turbulence at Edge of Space

    The Turbulent Oxygen Mixing Experiment Plus, or TOMEX+, is a NASA sounding rocket mission that will investigate one of Earth’s most turbulent atmospheric regions — the mesopause. Led by principal investigator Jim Clemmons, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Hampshire, TOMEX+ will open its launch window from NASA’s Wallops Flight […]

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