SpaceX rocket explosion rips hole in earth’s upper atmosphere: Study
A dramatic turn of events last November, an explosion SpaceXIts large size Starship The rocket temporarily tears a hole in the Earth upper atmosphereAccording to a new study by Russian scientists. This unprecedented atmospheric disturbance, researchers say, is the first time a man-made explosion has caused such an event.
As reported by Live Science, the event took place on November 18, 2023, when SpaceX launched its massive Starship rocket from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The launch, the second for a superheavy starship, was intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. However, the mission took an unexpected turn just four minutes after liftoff.
As planned, the rocket’s first stage – the massive lower section containing its main engine – is separated from the upper stage. But in a surprising twist, the first stage exploded shortly after separation, failing to execute its planned return to Earth. Then, just four minutes later, the rest of the rocket met a similar fate, disintegrating in a fiery explosion about 93 miles (150 kilometers) above the planet’s surface. The reason? A fire broke out as the rocket ejected liquid oxygen, causing what SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described as a “rapid indeterminate disintegration”.
Musk later claimed that if the rocket had carried the correct payload, it could have successfully reached orbit. Still, the phenomenon has already made its mark — quite literally — on the planet’s upper atmosphere.
In a study published Aug. 26 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers detailed how the explosion created a significant, albeit temporary, hole in the ionosphere. This layer of the atmosphere, between 50 and 400 miles (80 and 650 km) above the Earth’s surface, is where gases are ionized, or stripped of electrons, to form plasma.
“Normally, such holes are formed due to chemical processes in the ionosphere after interaction with engine fuel,” explained Yuri Yasukevich, lead author of the study and an ionosphere physicist at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “This is the first known example of an ionospheric hole caused by a catastrophic man-made explosion,” Live Science quoted Yasukevich as saying.
The disruption has been observed by multiple satellite and ground-based stations worldwide, lasting between 30 and 40 minutes before the ionosphere fully recovers. Although the crater’s maximum size remains undetermined, the study highlights the significant impact of human activity on our planet’s atmospheric layers.
As space exploration pushes the boundaries, the event serves as a stark reminder of the unintended consequences that accompany technological advancement.
As reported by Live Science, the event took place on November 18, 2023, when SpaceX launched its massive Starship rocket from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The launch, the second for a superheavy starship, was intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. However, the mission took an unexpected turn just four minutes after liftoff.
As planned, the rocket’s first stage – the massive lower section containing its main engine – is separated from the upper stage. But in a surprising twist, the first stage exploded shortly after separation, failing to execute its planned return to Earth. Then, just four minutes later, the rest of the rocket met a similar fate, disintegrating in a fiery explosion about 93 miles (150 kilometers) above the planet’s surface. The reason? A fire broke out as the rocket ejected liquid oxygen, causing what SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described as a “rapid indeterminate disintegration”.
Musk later claimed that if the rocket had carried the correct payload, it could have successfully reached orbit. Still, the phenomenon has already made its mark — quite literally — on the planet’s upper atmosphere.
In a study published Aug. 26 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers detailed how the explosion created a significant, albeit temporary, hole in the ionosphere. This layer of the atmosphere, between 50 and 400 miles (80 and 650 km) above the Earth’s surface, is where gases are ionized, or stripped of electrons, to form plasma.
“Normally, such holes are formed due to chemical processes in the ionosphere after interaction with engine fuel,” explained Yuri Yasukevich, lead author of the study and an ionosphere physicist at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “This is the first known example of an ionospheric hole caused by a catastrophic man-made explosion,” Live Science quoted Yasukevich as saying.
The disruption has been observed by multiple satellite and ground-based stations worldwide, lasting between 30 and 40 minutes before the ionosphere fully recovers. Although the crater’s maximum size remains undetermined, the study highlights the significant impact of human activity on our planet’s atmospheric layers.
As space exploration pushes the boundaries, the event serves as a stark reminder of the unintended consequences that accompany technological advancement.
