Question

NASA will fire three rockets named "serpent deity" at the solar eclipse in April.

Answer 1

While there is some truth to the information presented in this TikTok, the claims are twisted and misleading.

According to NASA, they will launch three sounding rockets from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia into the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024, to study how the sudden drop in sunlight affects our upper atmosphere.

This mission is not called the "Serpent Deity Program" as claimed in the video, and it is not new.

"The mission, known as Atmospheric Perturbations around the Eclipse Path or APEP, is led by Aroh Barjatya, a professor of engineering physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida...Barjatya designed the APEP mission, choosing the acronym because it is also the name of the serpent deity from ancient Egyptian mythology, nemesis of the Sun deity Ra." APEP first launched on Oct. 14, 2023.

According to NASA, "It was said that Apep pursued Ra and every so often nearly consumed him, resulting in an eclipse."

NASA does not state that APEP is a part of the Artemis program, and VIPER (the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover), which is part of the Artemis program, is a mission separate from APEP. VIPER is not another name for APEP.

NASA's asteroid study, OSIRIS-APEX, is also separate from APEP.  

The article that appears next to the video creator includes information about the true name of the mission, APEP, in reference to the serpent deity and the reason for the mission. However, the creator continues to emphasize the "serpent deity."

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/nasa-to-launch-sounding-rockets-into-moons-shadow-during-solar-eclipse/

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/eclipses/solar-eclipses/2023-solar-eclipse/to-study-atmosphere-nasa-rockets-will-fly-into-oct-eclipses-shadow/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2024/04/03/the-worlds-richest-person-2024/?sh=75fe95fa1e79

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/viper/

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-apex/

Comments

You did a wonderful job providing background context and proving why the claim is misleading in a very thorough manner. Thank you!

Answer 2

This claim is misleading. Yes, NASA launched three rockets during (not at) the solar eclipse (yesterday, April 8), but it is to "study how Earth’s upper atmosphere is affected when sunlight momentarily dims over a portion of the planet." According to NASA, "The sounding rockets will launch at three different times: 45 minutes before, during, and 45 minutes after the peak local eclipse. These intervals are important to collect data on how the Sun’s sudden disappearance affects the ionosphere, creating disturbances that have the potential to interfere with our communications."

The rocket launch was not meant to disrupt the solar eclipse.

Answer 3

The wording and phrasing of this claim make it misleading.Yes, rockets were fired during the solar eclipse in April, but they were not "at" the eclipse.According o NASA themselves, three rockets were fired to "study the disturbances in the electrified region of Earth’s atmosphere known as the ionosphere created when the Moon eclipses the Sun". Also, the linked "source" is a TikTok. More information needs to be acquired than a social media app in order to help prevent the spread of misinformation.

https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelreenstra4real/video/7351148258892254510?q=serpent%20deity%20nasa&t=1711984599968

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-wallops-launches-3-rockets-during-eclipse-in-virginia/