NASA to launch 3 rockets during total solar eclipse 2024 in April

The purpose of these space missions is to study the atmospheric disturbance caused by a solar eclipse and obtain information about its possible effect on satellite signals and radio frequencies.

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Therefore, the launched rockets will carry specific instruments into the ionosphere to accomplish the objective. The study will focus on atmospheric disturbances caused by the eclipse that may interfere with satellite signals and radio frequencies.

Also read: Solar Eclipse 2024: Will this rare astronomical phenomenon be visible in India? When, where to watch and other details here

What is ionosphere?

The ionosphere is one of several layers making up the Earth’s atmosphere that gradually and eventually transition into space. Weather conditions in the ionosphere affect satellite communications and the way GPS signals pass through it.

“At the top there is a layer of extra electrons that have been torn apart, or ionized,” Weather.com quoted meteorologist Jonathan Bales as saying.

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“This is the ionosphere,” said Jonathan Bales. This is the layer that allows many types of communication around the world. Without it, the waves would leak into space and communications would be lost forever.”

Weather conditions in the ionosphere change as temperature and other characteristics of the atmospheric layer change during sunset. According to NASA, atmospheric conditions in the ionosphere will change rapidly during the solar eclipse, generating atmospheric waves that will help scientists investigate disruptions in the ionosphere.

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Researchers have also made preparations to study the ionosphere from the ground during the solar eclipse.

“Understanding the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is critical to ensuring that our ever-increasing communications capabilities continue to operate,” Aaroh Barjatya, director of Embry-Riddle’s Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab, said in a press release. -dependent world to operate smoothly,” the report states. weather.com.

Led by scientists at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, the mission will see rockets approximately 55 feet tall that will be launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. They will launch at 45-minute intervals starting at 2:40 p.m. EDT. It is important to note that the same rockets were deployed for the annular solar eclipse last year.

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Published: March 31, 2024, 10:33 am IST