Tracers Mission

07/20/2026

First published results from the TRACERS mission reveal new details of sun-Earth interaction.

A University of Iowa-led research team has documented how energy from the sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field and moves closer to our planet, using detailed electron measurements. The study marks the first published results from TRACERS, the approximately $170 million NASA-funded mission and...

05/19/2026

The University of Iowa has opened its new Iowa Spaceflight Laboratory, a $7.2 million investment to expand space flight instruments and further position the university as a national leader in space science.

The creation of the Iowa Spaceflight Laboratory comes on the heels of Iowa physicists’ success with TRACERS, the $171.6 million NASA-funded mission to study the mysterious, powerful interactions between the magnetic fields of the sun and Earth. TRACERS, launched in July 2025, is expected to yield its first public discoveries through peer-reviewed studies expected to be published in June, says Associate Professor David Miles, TRACERS principal investigator.

02/17/2026

Following the success of the TRACERS spacecraft launch, the Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty members are anticipating the development of the innovative Iowa Spaceflight Laboratory. The seventh floor of Van Allen Hall is undergoing a renovation–supported by $7.2 million in university funds and a $670,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust–and will soon be home to the Iowa Spaceflight Laboratory. https://clas.uiowa.edu/news/2026/01/iowa-spaceflight-laboratory-allow-cutting-edge-space-exploration-clas-faculty-and

11/12/2025

Christian Hansen's image of the TRACERS mission launch won first place in the faculty/staff/researcher category of the Capture Your Research! Photo Competition.

Sponsored by NEXUS | Artineers and the Lichtenberger Engineering Library at the University of Iowa, Capture Your Research! is an image competition where students, faculty, and staff submit one image that captures the essence of their research.
Hansen, an Aerospace Project Engineer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, shot video of the July 23, 2025 launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 that sent the Mission into orbit, capping off an eight-year effort from mission concept, design, build, test, and finally orbit. The launch streak photo titled "TRACERS, Dr. Craig Kletzing’s Legacy" is a composite image of thousands of video frames stacked together to produce one single streak that shows the rocket’s trajectory as it races towards low Earth orbit. The video was taken 12 miles away from the launch site and the rocket at the end of the streak is at an altitude of 36 miles.

10/30/2025

The hosted its annual Halloween costume contest, and grad students Lillian Daneshmand and Olivia Jones were the twin TRACERS satellites. Lillian and Oliva took the prize for best grad student costume!

10/24/2025

Two TRACERS photos are in the Capture Your Research People’s Choice 2025, an image competition that allows University of Iowa students, faculty, and staff to submit one image that captures the essence of their research.
Christian Hansen submitted a photo of the launch streak, and David Miles submitted a photo of the last look of the TRACERS satellites on Earth. Vote at https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/eng/events/capture-your-research/capture-your-research-2025/capture-your-research-peoples-choice-2025/

07/24/2025

NASA’s newest mission, TRACERS, soon will begin studying how Earth’s magnetic shield protects our planet from the effects of space weather. Short for Tandem

07/24/2025

See the photos: The University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy hosted a watch party for the TRACERS mission launch, a project led by the university. bit.ly/450avd9

07/24/2025

07/22/2025