RADIO PHYSICS AND RADIO ASTRONOMY

Subject and Purpose. The ionosphere is the main channel for the propagation of radio waves. Its condition is determined bythe state of the atmospheric and space weathers, both of which depend on processes on the Sun, in the geospace, and in the Earth’s atmosphere. A serious impact on the state of the atmospheric and the space weather is produced by launches and flights of powerful rockets. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of observations and analyses of the disturbances in the ionosphere that accompanied launches and flights of heavy rockets from various cosmodromes around the world.

Methods and Methodology. In order to monitor disturbances in the ionosphere, a vertical Doppler sounder was used. The radar is able to detect relative disturbances in the electron density about 10^–3 to 10^–2 per cent over oscillation periods of 102 to 103 s. The beat signal formed by the signal reflected from the ionosphere and the one from the local oscillator were subjected to spectral processing over time intervals of 1 min.

Results. As follows from the observational data, the rocket launch from the Plesetsk cosmodrome (RF) was accompanied by an aperiodic disturbance of electron density, of duration about 20 minutes and speed of 1000 to 1140 m/s. The disturbance with a speed of 450 to 500 m/s was also aperiodic. A quasi-periodic disturbance with a period of 6 to 7 min and speed of 330 to 340 m/s was carried by a long-wave infrasound. The amplitude of the relative disturbance in electron density was δ_N≈ 1 percent. For atmospheric gravity waves with periods of 20 or 30 min the relative disturbance in electron density was δ_N≈ 6 to 14 per cent. At the start of the Proton M rocket, three groups of disturbances with speeds of 555, 240 and 170 m/s were observed. In their case, the estimate for δ_N is 1.5 to 3 per cent. During the rocket launch from the Wenchang (PRC) cosmodrome, three possible groups of disturbances were noted, with speeds of 560, 410 and 270 m/s. In the case of a quasiperiodic disturbance, an estimate for δ_N is 1.5 per cent. Th e disturbances recorded after the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket are, most likely, not related to the flight of the rocket. The aperiodic disturbances that followed the launch of the Ariane 5 rocket could be associated with the flight of the rocket.

Conclusions. The disturbances that accompanied launches and flights of heavy rockets from several cosmodromes located at distances of 1500 to 2500 km from the observation site have been reliably identified.

Keywords: rocket flight, large-scale disturbance, ionosphere, aperiodic and quasiperiodic disturbance, electron density

Manuscript submitted 02.12.2021

Radio phys. radio astron. 2025, 30(4): 232–249

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