Ionosphere Heterogeneities at Dawn−Dusk Terminator Related to the Starlink Satellites Launch Disaster on 3−8 February 2022

Abstract

We present an analysis of the evolution of the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) and its variability index Vσ during the Starlink launch disaster on 3–8 February 2022 two‐phase geomagnetic storm. JPL GIM‐TEC global maps with increased spatial (1° in latitude and longitude) and temporal (15 min cadence) resolution as well as SWARM satellite data have been used in the analysis. Comparison of data for five time periods including Starlink launches with geomagnetic Dst index demonstrates thermospheric mass densities increasing by about 50% during the development of the storm on 3–5 February. A spectrum periodogram analysis is applied on TEC at sunrise and sunset solar terminator (STh) at an altitude h = 300 km. Periodicities in the solar terminator TEC generated waves are estimated as 24 hr, 12 hr, 1 hr, 30 min, 20 min, and 15 min. A significant morning−evening asymmetry resulted in the density anomalies concentrated in a certain—evening—sector of terminator when plasma is shifted to the dusk side forming a global asymmetry.

The Loss of Starlink Satellites in February 2022: How Moderate Geomagnetic Storms Can Adversely Affect Assets in Low‐Earth Orbit

“…Multiple studies have analyzed the solar eruptive events (e.g., Dang et al, 2022;Fang et al, 2022;Gopalswamy et al, 2023;Kataoka et al, 2022;Pal et al, 2023), Joule-heating-mediated changes in thermospheric conditions as a result of their interaction with Earth's magnetosphere (e.g., He et al, 2023;Laskar et al, 2023;Lin et al, 2022;Lockwood et al, 2023), thermospheric drag and orbital decay of the Starlink satellites (e.g., Berger et al, 2023;Guarnieri et al, 2023;Y. Zhang et al, 2022), as well as magnetospheric and ionospheric effects (e.g., Duann et al, 2023;Gulyaeva et al, 2023;Tsurutani et al, 2022;Tsyganenko et al, 2022) due to the geomagnetic storms of 3-4 February 2022. This is the first study that employs data-driven magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modeling of Earth's magnetosphere, alongside detailed investigations of the near-Sun and near-Earth environments concurrent with the loss of the Starlink satellites, to interpret the physical processes that led to this mishap.…”