Vandenberg SFB hosts NASA TRACERS mission brief

Published July 25, 2025
Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) --

Vandenberg Space Force Base hosted a mission brief for NASA’s upcoming Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites mission on July 21. The event brought together attendees from Vandenberg SFB, NASA, the University of Iowa and the local community to discuss the TRACERS mission and its scientific goals.

Vandenberg SFB Guardians and U.S. Air Force Airmen are scheduled to support the launch of NASA's TRACERS mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East no earlier than July 22. TRACERS will be the second NASA mission launched from Vandenberg SFB in 2025, following the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer mission launched in March. Vandenberg SFB continues to help meet the space launch needs of the United States, propelling scientific and technological innovation while fulfilling the requirements for the Space Force and its mission partners.

Dr. Joseph Westlake, NASA’s heliophysics division director, talks with the Vandenberg community during a brief for NASA’s Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission at the Vandenberg Space Force Base Space and Missile Technology Center, Calif., July 21, 2025. — Dr. Joseph Westlake, NASA’s heliophysics division director, talks with the Vandenberg Space Force Base community during a brief for NASA’s Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites mission at the Vandenberg SFB and Missile Technology Center, Calif., July 21, 2025. Westlake answered questions from attendees, discussing the long-term goals of the TRACERS mission. NASA’s TRACERS mission will help researchers understand magnetic reconnection and its effects in Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic reconnection occurs when activity from the sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for the impact of solar activity on Earth. (U.S. Space Force photo by 2nd Lt. Andrew Taller)

Dr. David Miles, Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) principal investigator and University of Iowa astrophysicist, conducts a mission brief at the Vandenberg Space Force Base Space and Missile Technology Center, Calif., July 21, 2025 — Dr. David Miles, Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites principal investigator and University of Iowa astrophysicist, conducts a mission brief at the Vandenberg Space Force Base Space and Missile Technology Center, Calif., July 21, 2025. During his brief, Miles explained the scientific capabilities of the NASA TRACERS mission, scheduled to launch from Vandenberg SFB July 22, 2025. NASA’s TRACERS mission will help researchers understand magnetic reconnection and its effects on Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic reconnection occurs when activity from the Sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for the impact of solar activity on Earth. (U.S. Space Force photo by 2nd Lt Andrew Taller)

Norman Phelps, NASA Launch Services Program mission manager, gestures at a screen during a mission brief for NASA’s Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission at the Vandenberg Space Force Base Space and Missile Technology Center, Calif., July 21, 2025. — Norman Phelps, NASA Launch Services Program mission manager, gestures at a screen during a mission brief for NASA’s Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites mission at the Vandenberg Space Force Base Space and Missile Technology Center, Calif., July 21, 2025. During his brief, Phelps discussed NASA’s scientific and technical achievements while explaining the details of multiple NASA missions at Vandenberg SFB. NASA’s TRACERS mission will help researchers understand magnetic reconnection and its effects on Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic reconnection occurs when activity from the Sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for the impact of solar activity on Earth. (U.S. Space Force photo by 2nd Lt Andrew Taller)

NASA’s TRACERS mission will help researchers understand magnetic reconnection and its effects in Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic reconnection occurs when activity from the sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for impacts of solar activity on Earth.

Editor’s note: The TRACERS mission launched on July 23, 2025, at 2:13 p.m. (EDT).