Simulation of Ionospheric Perturbations Induced by Rocket‐Propelled Vehicle: A Semi‐Empirical Approach

Abstract

AbstractThe flight of rocket‐propelled vehicles triggers acoustic waves that propagate through the atmosphere and induce electron density changes at ionospheric heights. These perturbations can be observed using multi‐frequency Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, sounding the ionosphere by taking advantage of its dispersive property. We extend an existing lightweight modeling approach to reproduce the shape, amplitude and timing of the observed perturbations using a semi‐empirical source model based on flight conditions and engine characteristics to express the acoustic perturbations generated by the exhaust gases and a three‐dimensional ray tracing method accounting for dissipative and dispersive effects to propagate the waveform through the atmosphere. Perturbations of the ionospheric plasma are estimated using a simplified model of collisions between neutral and charged particles. The developed simulation framework is applied to the launch of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 30, 2020 from Kennedy Space Center. The amplitude, shape and timing of simulated perturbations are in good agreement with measurements made by GNSS ground‐based receivers located in the region. This approach is a new step toward rapid characterization of anthropogenic activity in the atmosphere as well as natural events releasing energy near the Earth's surface (earthquake, volcanic activity, etc.) based on GNSS technology.