Concentric traveling ionospheric disturbances triggered by the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

• Published in: Geophysical research letters 2017-08, Vol.44 (15), p.7578-7586
• Main Authors: Lin, Charles C. H., Shen, Ming‐Hsueh, Chou, Min‐Yang, Chen, Chia‐Hung, Yue, Jia, Chen, Po‐Cheng, Matsumura, Mitsuru
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acoustic waves; Altitude; Anthropogenic factors; Atmosphere; Atmospheric gravity waves; Commercial spacecraft; concentric gravity waves; concentric traveling ionospheric disturbances; Earth; Filtration; Gravitational waves; Gravity; Gravity waves; Ionospheric disturbances; Launch vehicles; Phase velocity; Propagation velocity; Ray tracing; Rocket launches; SpaceX rocket launch; Total Electron Content; Traveling ionospheric disturbances; Upper atmosphere; Velocity; Wave dispersion; Wavelength; Wind; Winds
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1002/2017GL074192

We report the first observation of concentric traveling ionospheric disturbances (CTIDs) triggered by the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 17 January 2016. The rocket‐triggered ionospheric disturbances show shock acoustic wave signature in the time rate change (time derivative) of total electron content (TEC), followed by CTIDs in the 8–15 min band‐pass filtering of TEC. The CTIDs propagated northward with phase velocity of 241–617 m/s and reached distances more than 1000 km away from the source on the rocket trajectory. The wave characteristics of CTIDs with periods of 10.5–12.7 min and wavelength ~ 200–400 km agree well with the gravity wave dispersion relation. The optimal wave source searching and gravity wave ray tracing technique suggested that the CTIDs have multiple sources which are originated from ~38–120 km altitude before and after the ignition of the second‐stage rocket, ~200 s after the rocket was launched. Key Points First observation of concentric traveling ionospheric disturbances triggered by CGWs associated with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch The horizontal velocities, wavelengths, and periods of CTIDs agree with the gravity wave dispersion relation The reverse ray tracing shows that multiple concentric waves were most likely generated around and above the mesosphere region Plain Language Summary We observed circular ripples in the space plasma 125 mile height above Earth during the SpaceX rocket launch. These ripple disturbances are indicators of the atmospheric gravity waves that are important to altering the winds in the upper atmosphere. The rocket launches could be another anthropogenic source of upper atmosphere disturbances if space travels become widely available.