Towering 'firestorm clouds' are largely a mystery. A first-of-its kind NASA mission is working to change that.

NASA is launching a first-of-its-kind mission called INSPYRE to study pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which form during wildfires and inject smoke into the upper atmosphere. The mission uses a specially equipped NCAR plane to collect data on these 'firestorm clouds,' aiming to improve predictions of their formation and downstream effects, including hazardous weather like fire tornadoes and dry lightning.