NASA launches suborbital rockets after delays

Published : Mar 28, 2012 - 11:20 Updated : Mar 28, 2012 - 11:37

This image provided by NASA shows the launch of five suborbital sounding rockets, Tuesday March 27, 2012. The first rocket was launched at 4:58 a.m. EDT and each subsequent rocket was launched 80 seconds apart. (AP)

NASA has launched five rockets to study the upper level jet stream after several delays.

The rockets began blasting off Tuesday morning from a NASA space center in Virginia. Bad weather had postponed other planned launches last week.

Each rocket released a chemical tracer that created milky, white clouds at the edge of space. Tracking the way the clouds move can help scientists understand the movement of the winds some 65 miles up in the sky. (AP Photo/NASA)

The Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment will help scientists understand the jet stream, which is located 60 to 65 miles (96 to 104 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

After launching, the rockets released a chemical tracer to form white clouds that allowed scientists and the public to visualize the winds. (AP)