NASA is gearing up to dispatch three sounding rockets during the total solar eclipse on April 8. The aim is to investigate the impact on Earth’s upper atmosphere when a part of the planet experiences dimming. This initiative is a component of the Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (Apep) project, which will see rockets being launched from a spaceport in Virginia.
Sounding rockets are equipped with scientific instruments and are launched into critical areas of space. The objective of this project is to gauge the disturbances in Earth’s ionosphere that occur when the Sun is temporarily eclipsed by the Moon. These disturbances can disrupt Earth’s communications as the eclipse leads to a reduction in solar radiation, thereby decreasing ionisation levels and ultimately affecting radio waves.
Aroh Barjatya, the mission leader and a professor of engineering physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, explained, “The ionosphere is an electrified region that reflects and refracts radio signals, and also influences satellite communications as the signals traverse through it. Comprehending the ionosphere and formulating models to predict disturbances is vital to ensure the smooth operation of our increasingly communication-dependent world.”
The rockets are scheduled to launch at three specific times: 45 minutes before, during, and 45 minutes after the peak of the eclipse in Virginia. The success of this mission is crucial for the scientists, as the next total solar eclipse will not occur in the contiguous US until 2044.
These same rockets were previously launched from New Mexico during an annular solar eclipse in October, and new instruments have been installed for this mission. The last mission enabled scientists to document a significant reduction in the density of charged particles as the annular eclipse shadow passed over the atmosphere.
Prof Barjatya expressed his excitement about the upcoming launch, “We observed the perturbations capable of affecting radio communications in the second and third rockets but not during the first rocket that was before the peak local eclipse. We are thrilled to relaunch them during the total eclipse, to see if the perturbations initiate at the same altitude and if their magnitude and scale remain consistent.”
The Apep rockets are anticipated to reach a maximum altitude of 420km to measure the density of charged and neutral particles and the surrounding electric and magnetic fields. They will be equipped with instruments designed to investigate whether the eclipse causes any disturbances.
