California: On July 19, 2023, a rocket launched by Elon Musk’s SpaceX punched a temporary hole in the ionosphere surrounding our planet, revealed a study conducted by Boston University. The Falcon 9 rocket was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and it was carrying a Globalstar satellite into orbit.
Photos from the July 19 launch showed a faint red glow, which was studied by space physicist Jeff Baumgardner from Boston University. After reviewing the footage of the launch, he said that the red glow indicates a hole made in the ionosphere.
The ionosphere is a layer of Earth’s atmosphere that is filled with charged particles called ions. These ions are created when solar radiation interacts with the atmosphere, and they play an important role in radio communications and navigation.
When the Falcon 9 rocket blasted off, it created a shockwave that passed through the ionosphere. This shockwave caused the ions in the ionosphere to become less dense, which created a temporary hole.
The hole in the ionosphere was about 100 miles wide and 10 miles deep. It lasted for about an hour, and it caused some disruption to radio communications in the area.
However, the hole was not a major threat to human safety. The ionosphere is constantly changing, and holes like this are not uncommon. In fact, the Falcon 9 rocket is not the first to create a hole in the ionosphere. “This is a well-studied phenomenon when rockets are burning their engines 200 to 300 km above Earth’s surface”, said Mr Baumgardner.
This event does highlight the potential impact that rocket launches can have on the ionosphere. As more and more rockets are launched, it is important to understand the effects that they can have on this important layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It is important to study the impact of rocket launches on the ionosphere so that we can minimize the risks to human safety and communication systems.