Elon Musk -Elon Musk’s SpaceX has recently launched it’s new rocket Falcon 9 rocket on 19 july 2023 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and according to a report by spaceweather.com the rocket has temporarily created a hole in the Ionsphere during its ascent.
The ionosphere is a crucial layer of Earth’s atmosphere located on the edge of space and is filled with charged particles known as ions. It plays a significant role in various atmospheric phenomena, including the creation of auroras during geomagnetic storms.
Photos from the July 19 launch showed a faint red glow, which was studied by space physicist Jeff Baumgardner from Boston University. After reviewed the footage of the launch, he said that The red glow observed during the launch was an indication of the formation of an ionospheric “hole.”
Falcon 9 rocket’s shockwave
Mr. Baumgardner further elaborated that the footage from the July 19th launch showed the second stage engine burning at around 286 km near the F-region peak for that time of day, making it highly possible that an ionospheric “hole” was formed.
The ionosphere lies on the edge of space and is filled with charged particles called ions. According to NASA, it is the reason that geomagnetic storms cause aurora, with solar plasma reacting with the ions to create the spectacular colours seen in the sky.
The ionosphere is important because it reflects and modifies radio waves used for communication and navigation. A hole in the ionosphere can impact the GPS systems, altering location accuracy by a few feet. However, it wasn’t too significant at this time, according to Newsweek.
According to Science Times, similar events took place during previous launches. In August 2017, Falcon 9 was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying the FORMOSAT-5 payload. Due to the rocket’s low weight, it followed a vertical path rather than a parallel trajectory to Earth’s surface.
Due to the low weight, the rocket launched along a vertical path rather than travelling parallel to the surface of the Earth, creating shockwaves. As a result, it ruptured a hole in the plasma of the ionosphere.
Additionally, the Falcon 9 launch on June 19, 2022, also saw the creation of an ionospheric “hole,” adding to the pattern of this phenomenon.
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