Aerospace watchers and night-sky enthusiasts, heads up!

A NASA-backed sounding rocket mission dubbed TOMEX+ is scheduled to launch this evening from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia—and under clear skies, it could be visible from parts of New Jersey.

** What’s launching?**

The launch window is between 10:00 p.m. ET on Monday, August 25, 2025, and 3:00 a.m. ET early Tuesday, August 26—timing depends on weather and final confirmation.

With promising weather and mostly clear skies expected, watchers are encouraged to orient themselves toward the south–southwest horizon—and keep an eye out for rocket streaks or atmospheric glow shortly after liftoff.

While Tomex+ doesn’t mention colored chemicals, the rockets may still create observable streaks or glows in the night sky shortly after liftoff.

Look toward the south–southwest horizon—that’s the likely direction of the Wallops trajectory from Lakewood.

You can also watch their livestream – the page is expected to go live shortly before launch.