Satellite launch vehicle effect on the Earth’s lower ionosphere: A case study

The effect of the rocket exhaust products on the D-region of the ionosphere is investigated with the help of Very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic wave propagation characteristics within the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. The changes in the electron density profile are computed from the observed VLF signal amplitude perturbations about 3 dB during the rocket launch. We find a localized electron depletion in the lower ionosphere at an altitude of around 58 km, that is thought to be originated by the attachment of ionospheric ion and molecular hydrogen along with water molecule in the exhaust product of first stage burn of Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket at the time of GSLV launched from Sriharikota, India, on 27 August 2015 at 11:22 UT (16:52 IST). The ionospheric depletion perturbed the navigational VLF signal (VTX = 17 kHz) 134 s after the launch of the GSLV rocket.