NASA finally launching sounding rocket to create artificial clouds after several delays; all you need to know

After witnessing several delays and postponements, US space agency NASA is finally launching its sounding rocket to create artificial and colourful clouds in space on Tuesday night.

The NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket, which was scheduled to be launched on Monday, June 19, will now be launched on June 20, Tuesday, according to the US space agency. Monday’s launch was postponed because the weather was not conductive for the launch, NASA said.

Now, if the weather cooperates, the NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket carrying the experiment will be launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia between 9:06 and 9:21 p.m. EDT.

The live coverage of the launch will begin at 8:30 PM on Wallops Ustream site, while a Facebook live will start at 8:50 PM.

NASA has been trying to launch the sounding rocket for the last two weeks but the mission has been scrapped repeatedly due to bad weather and poor visibility. The NASA sounding rocket will release clouds of red and blue-green vapour into the space.

According to NASA, it is testing the multi-canister ampoule ejection system on this mission. This will enable scientists to collect information over a much larger area than previously covered during a sounding rocket mission to study the ionosphere or aurora.

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The canisters will release blue-green and red vapour to form artificial clouds between 4 and 5.5 minutes after launch.

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