SpaceX Damages Outer Space

What the Musk! Last Wednesday, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a regular mission. However, something that was definitely out of routine was witnessed by avid sky watchers in Southern California. An exhaust plume that was spectacular came up, but then one photographer saw something beyond. 

“After the rocket had passed overhead, a red fluorescent glow expanded southward and crossed over the Milky Way, the photographer Jeremy Perez was quoted as saying by SpaceWeatherArchive.com. Right on cue physicist Jeff Baumgardner of Boston University revealed that the SpaceX rocket had punched a hole in the earth’s ionosphere. 

Not a one-off instance warns physicist Baumgardner

Of course, this is not a new phenomenon as several space missions in the past have been doing the same for years. A recent instance occurred on August 25, 2017 when the Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Taiwanese payload punched a hole four times bigger than the state of California. Last June, the same rocket punched a hole in space over the East Coast of the US. 

Baumgardner explained the phenomenon as a well-researched one where rockets burn their engines 200 to 300 ms above the earth’s surface. The red glow appears when exhaust gasses from the rocket’s 2nd stage cause the ionosphere to recombine quickly, whereby water and carbon dioxide are sprayed into the ionosphere, covering up local ionization by 70%.

The physicist says he had reviewed SpaceX’s video footage from the recent launch that indicated the second stage engine igniting at 286 kms near the ionosphere. This suggests that a hole was made by the rocket, he says, adding that punch holes were once uncommon but are quite a regular occurrence due to the record number of launches led by SpaceX.  

Baumgardner noted that such launches would come to the notice of Ham radio operators when shortwave signals fail to skip over the horizon, shooting through these holes instead of bouncing back to Earth. These anomalies could also result in sudden GPS errors, he noted while adding that these effects, though troublesome, are short lived as re-ionization happens in sunlight. 

The damage caused is temporary but… 

According to Science Times, such instances do cause temporary environmental damage. In the case of SpaceX, the low weight of the rocket launched along a vertical path instead of traversing one that is parallel to the earth’s surface, creates shockwaves. This causes a rupture in the plasma off the ionosphere. 

What does the ionosphere do though?

According to NASA, the ionosphere plays a crucial role in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the earth’s magnetosphere. It overlaps the top of the atmosphere and marks the very beginning of outer space. This boundary to space is where many of the earth-orbiting satellites are located as is the International Space Station.

Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains that the ionosphere is critical because it reflects and modifies radio waves used for communication and navigation.  It also helps the Earth to absorb some of the harmful and highly energetic radiation from the Sun including X-rays, gamma rays and UV radiation. 

Rocket launches can be injurious to health!

An article published by The Time notes that no space travel can be good for Planet Earth. The article says Falcon 9 uses a fuel mixture of liquid oxygen and simple kerosene, of which the latter spews  black soot which is injected into the atmosphere directly. This lingers on for up to five years, absorbing heat and contributing to climate change, the article says, while also noting that SpaceX is not the only one messing things up. 

It quotes a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to suggest that global rocket launches (in 2022, we saw 180) inject about 1,000 tons of soot into the upper atmosphere per year. People in the Northern Hemisphere who would be at increased risk of harmful UV radiation, says Christopher Maloney, the lead author of the report. 

According to the NOAA research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, a 10-fold increase in hydrocarbon fueled launches, which is plausible within the next two decades based on recent trends in space traffic growth, would damage the ozone layer, and change atmospheric circulation patterns. 

Given that outer space has become a priority for countries like India, would there be anyone who really cares about destroying the final frontier?