The rocket launch conducted by Elon Musk‘s SpaceX from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on July 19 resulted in a puncture in the ionosphere of our planet’s atmosphere, according to a report by Newsweek.
As per the information on the company’s website, the Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed for the dependable and secure transportation of both people and payloads into Earth’s orbit and beyond. SpaceX proudly claims it to be the world’s inaugural orbital-class reusable rocket. With an impressive track record, the Falcon 9 has successfully completed 240 launches and accomplished 198 landings.
The Falcon 9 rocket, propelled at high speeds into space, left a faint red glow in the sky over Flagstaff, Arizona, indicating that it had created an ionospheric hole.
Newsweek also reported that space physicist Jeff Baumgardner from Boston University confirmed that this phenomenon is well-documented when rockets burn their engines around 200 to 300 km (approximately 120 to 190 miles) above the Earth’s surface. The second stage engine of the July 19th launch was observed burning at around 286 km (178 miles) near the F-region peak for that time of day, making it highly likely that an ionospheric ‘hole’ had been formed.
The ionosphere, the region where space begins, is filled with charged particles called ions and spans between approximately 50 to 400 miles above the surface. It plays a crucial role in creating auroras during geomagnetic storms, as solar plasma reacts with ions to produce spectacular colors in the sky.
