Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing Company, delivered two space vehicles for NASA's Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission to Vandenberg Space Force Base Friday, marking a milestone in preparation for launch later this year.
The TRACERS mission will measure the connection between solar wind and the magnetic field surrounding Earth. With the completion of rigorous tests, including environmental, mechanical and systems verification, the space vehicles are now prepared to travel through Earth's polar cusp region over the north and south magnetic poles. Ultimately, the mission will enhance our understanding of space weather and its potential impacts on critical technologies such as satellites, communications networks and power grids.
Tony Gingiss, CEO, Millennium Space Systems, said, "Delivering TRACERS demonstrates how the same approach we use for national security missions can support cutting-edge science. The ability to deliver high-performance spacecraft is critical, not just for advancing scientific understanding and enabling future space weather forecasting, but also, for strengthening space resilience and readiness in support of national defense objectives."
The launch window is set to open in Summer 2025, with specific timing dependent on mission readiness and other logistics.
