A hole in the ionosphere was discovered after the Starship rocket exploded 06:29

The Russian Academy of Sciences recorded for the first time a unique plasma hole that appeared in the ionosphere after the explosion of the Starship spacecraft. According to the official publication, this discovery will help to better understand the structure of the near-Earth space. SB RAS “Science in Siberia”.

In November 2023, Elon Musk-led SpaceX carried out the second test flight of the 5,000-ton Starship. Approximately 2 minutes and 40 seconds after launch, the first stage separated from the ship and exploded at an altitude of 90 km. The main module continued to climb to 149 km and was then destroyed by the autonomous safety system.

“An international research team with the participation of specialists of the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics SB RAS (Irkutsk) found unusual consequences in the ionosphere as a result of the explosion of the superheavy spacecraft Starship on November 18, 2023,” the publication reports.

According to the leading researcher of ISTP SB RAS, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Yuri Yasyukevich, the launch and explosion of the rocket caused an unexpected effect on the ionosphere. He explained that the spacecraft was moving at speeds exceeding the speed of sound, creating cone-shaped atmospheric shock waves resembling those behind a fast-moving boat.

These waves had significant amplitude, but the most surprising thing was the existence of many oscillations and their propagation to the north, while the waves generally moved south. The explosion of the spacecraft created a plasma hole in the ionosphere, a situation where charged electrons are lost. Typically, such holes are formed due to chemical processes resulting from interaction with the engine fuel.

The scientist noted that this was the first case of a non-chemical plasma hole being detected resulting from a man-made explosion.

It was there before named The reason why the new Starship rocket failed to launch.