NASA set to launch Hampton project: University will lead an orbital study of ice clouds, climate change.

Byline: A.J. Hostetler

Apr. 25--A Hampton University-led satellite launch today will examine the mysterious icy clouds increasingly forming over the Earth's poles to learn what their presence says about global climate change. The 430-pound spacecraft, scheduled for launch at 4:26 p.m. in California, will be NASA's first dedicated to investigate the silvery-blue wisps floating at the edge of space. These bright, noctilucent clouds, which form 50 miles above ground and are seen only at night, could signal climate changes in the upper atmosphere, said principal investigator James Russell of Hampton. "They capture your attention," he said of the luminous clouds that …