Exploring near Earth space with sounding rockets

Abstract:

From below 100 km altitude to over 1000 km altitude, from Alaska to Kwajalein to Virginia to Australia, from local noon to local midnight, sounding rockets provide a platform for dedicated case study investigations of near Earth space. Rocket campaigns provide increasingly sophisticated and complex observational suites exploring focussed ionosphere and mesosphere questions.

In this talk, a (non-comprehensive) tour of sounding rocket studies will present auroral ionospheric multipayload and multiplatform campaigns. Sounding rockets were involved in early observations of lower hybrid solitary structures (LHSS), broadband ELF (BBELF), thermal ion upflow and downflow and its relationships to wave activity such as BBELF and VLF hiss. Multipoint observations, of Alfvenic activity in poleward boundary intensification curtains, and in the context of dedicated filtered groundbased imagery, allow detailed studies of auroral arc systems. Rocket-and-groundbased campaigns allow dedicated comparisons of remote sensing observations to in situ measurements, enhancing both. Recent work increasingly involves groundbased observational and modelling colleagues as investigative partners from the outset. Recent studies include detailed comparisons of filtered groundbased auroral imagery with in situ precipitating electron measurements; data-driven local ionospheric GEMINI model runs; and an upcoming investigation of Jovian-Io Alfven wing signatures using chemical release payloads and an array of diagnostic payloads launched from Wallops Island.

Sounding rocket campaigns allow a high risk tolerance and a rich platform, giving researchers a place to explore the ionosphere in new ways. This seeds new views of our Earth's environment. The focused campaigns leading up to a rocket launch provide an intense, real-time, in-depth learning experience for scientists figuring out what the ionosphere is going to do next.