GNSS Observations of Ionospheric Disturbances Due to Rocket Launches

This rising project focuses on the impact rocket launches have on the GNSS satellite constellation in the form of ionospheric scintillation. Disturbance in the ionosphere comes from changing electron densities and a culmination of waves. A large-scale rocket launch is a unique phenomenon that can induce such an event due to its magnitude of power. Structures that form in the ionosphere can manipulate the ability of a GPS receiver to maintain signal contact, risking position data and threatening the economies that depend on it. In order to further understand this issue, Embry-Riddle’s Space Physics Research Lab (SPRL) team has organized a study that focuses on rocket launches that occur in Cape Canaveral, FL. GPS receivers located in the lab collect low and high rate data. This information is then put through a series of MATLAB and python codes developed by SPRL students that parses and creates graphs that take into consideration variables such as TEC (total electron content), phase, and power of signals during launch events. The team has been able to parse and locate scintillation readings. Developments in the near future include looking for patterns in scintillation occurrences, influential environmental factors, and probability assessments