NASA launched two suborbital rockets from Alaska this week to study the electrical “circuitry” of auroras, the northern lights caused by interactions between solar wind and Earth’s atmosphere.

The first mission, Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor (BADASS), launched on Feb. 9 to investigate black auroras, where electrons shoot into space rather than toward Earth, reaching 224 miles (360 km) in altitude and returning high-quality data.

The second, Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science (GNEISS), launched back-to-back on Feb. 10 with two rockets reaching 198 miles (319 km), aiming to map electric currents in auroras like a “CT scan” of the plasma.

Data from the rockets, combined with ground receivers, will allow scientists to create a 3D view of auroral electrical activity, Space.com has reported.

Understanding auroras is crucial because geomagnetic storms linked to them can disrupt satellites, power grids, air travel, and radio communications.