TRACERS MISSION

Current Context: NASA has launched the TRACERS mission to study how Earth’s magnetic field protects the planet from solar storms and space weather.

ABOUT TRACERS MISSION

• TRACERS stands for Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites.
• It is designed to study magnetic reconnection, a process where the Sun’s magnetic field interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.
• These interactions can cause energy bursts that affect satellites, power grids, and communication systems on Earth.
• The mission will focus on the polar cusp—a region near the North Pole where Earth’s magnetic shield is most exposed.

 OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION

• To measure magnetic reconnection and energy transfer in Earth’s polar cusp region.
• To study how solar energy and particles enter Earth’s upper atmosphere.
• To help improve understanding of space weather effects on Earth’s infrastructure.