Conditions on the edge of space can have a major effect on Earth.
NASA
Stretching from around 30 miles above the Earth’s surface to the very edge of space is the ionosphere, a region of the atmosphere filled with charged particles.
As the Sun beats down on the upper atmosphere, some particles are ionized, changing conditions in the ionosphere from day to night. It’s also affected by weather on Earth and in space, making the ionosphere extremely turbulent.
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If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to see an aurora, you have the charged particles of the chaotic ionosphere to thank.
But the ionosphere can also wreak havoc on satellites. Charged gas, or plasma, can collect together into massive bubbles, which scatter radio and GPS signals.
... especially considering how many satellites orbit in or above the ionosphere. That includes NASA’s recently launched SWOT satellite and the International Space Station.
In November 2022, NASA sent two CubeSats to the ISS aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Named SPORT and petitSAT, the duo were deployed on December 29 to begin studying how plasma bubbles form.
The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) will take measurements of the whole ionosphere, showing scientists the turbulent region’s normal state.