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NASA sounding rocket provides first simultaneous multi‑point measurements inside sporadic E ionospheric layers
A NASA sounding‑rocket mission, SpEED Demon, launched from Wallops Flight Facility on 24 August 2022 and released four dropsonde probes plus a main payload, giving five concurrent measurements inside a sporadic E layer. The data show the layer is not a uniform metallic sheet but a structured, turbulent feature that can split into multiple peaks, likely shaped by Kelvin‑Helmholtz‑type billows. The mission demonstrates that multi‑probe dropsonde techniques can capture the complex plasma environment that disrupts long‑range radio communications and GPS signals.
Phys.org, NASA
