SpaceX’s Rockets Are Tearing Too Many Holes In The Sky Worry Astronomers

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SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets, which have flown nearly 90 times this year, are now causing astronomers to worry about the impact that they are making on the Earth's ionosphere. After launching its payload into space, the Falcon 9 fires up its Merline engines to reorient itself and reduce its speed for landing on land or in the sea. Similarly, after the second stage has finished its mission, it also fires up its engines to return to Earth.

These engines create holes in the ionosphere, a layer of charged gas surrounding the Earth that plays a crucial role in satellite communication. These holes generate red light, which can further affect astronomy and astronomers' efforts to study the sky.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 is the world's only reusable medium-lift rocket, and while the first-stage booster lands on Earth after most missions, the second stage is not recovered. After a mission, once the Falcon 9's second stage has delivered its payload, the rocket fires up its Merlin vacuum engine to reduce its altitude and burn up in the atmosphere, sometimes weeks after its launch.

The ionosphere starts from 60 kilometers from the Earth's surface and extends as high as 300 kilometers. It is one of the highest regions of the atmosphere, and after it, only one additional layer is present before the vast emptiness of space begins. Within the ionosphere, several layers are 'ionized', which is scientific speak for charged particles. Particles within the ionosphere are energized due to their height, which leaves them exposed to the Sun's radiation. This radiation also helps humans on Earth since it helps radio