NASA launching rockets to investigate mysterious ionospheric clouds disrupting global communication networks

NASA is taking to the skies to solve a silent mystery that threatens global communications. In a groundbreaking effort, the agency is launching uncrewed rockets from the remote Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of its Sporadic-E ElectroDynamics (SEED) mission. The goal is to investigate Sporadic-E layers of strange, cloud-like ionized structures in Earth’s upper atmosphere that disrupt radio signals and confuse everything from air traffic control systems to military radar.These invisible layers form suddenly, move unpredictably, and vanish just as quickly making them almost impossible to forecast. Beginning June 13, 2025, the three-week launch window will give scientists a rare opportunity to study their behaviour near the magnetic equator, where they remain most misunderstood.

NASA launches mission to study ionosphere clouds disrupting communication systems

The Sporadic-E ElectroDynamics (SEED) mission is a NASA-sponsored scientific experiment aimed at examining enigmatic, high-speed, cloud-like layers of the lower ionosphere called Sporadic-E layers. These tight clusters of ionized particles usually due to metal components from meteors may disrupt radio communications, aviation navigation systems, military radar, and GPS signals by reflecting signals in unpredictable ways back to the planet.

Major objectives of the SEED mission:

Launch site and schedule:

What are Sporadic-E layers

The expedition targets an occurrence called Sporadic-E layers, which occur in the lower ionosphere, a charged area of Earth's upper atmosphere between 60 and 1,000 kilometers from the surface. These dense balls of ionized particles cannot be seen with the naked eye but can be identified by radar. They behave like patchy or overcast cloud layers, which can reflect radio signals back to Earth prematurely, before those signals reach higher and more stable layers of the ionosphere.This early reflection can disrupt anything from aviation communication systems to military radars. Air traffic controllers and marine radio users, for instance, might hear signals from remote locations as if they originated locally. Military systems, on the other hand, might see "ghost" signals or decoy targets as a result of unpredictable signal bouncing."These Sporadic-E layers are not observable with the naked eye," said Aroh Barjatya, principal investigator of the SEED mission. "In plots of radar, some layers resemble patchy and puffy clouds, and others resemble a blanketing overcast sky; we refer to those as blanketing Sporadic-E layers."Because Sporadic-E layers are so dynamic, constantly forming, moving, and evaporating they cannot easily be predicted. Their arrival can disrupt or jumble important transmissions, which are dangerous not only to commercial navigation but also to defense and aerospace applications. The SEED mission is thus intended to improve our capability to predict and counteract these disruptions."These are a lot of interest to predict and understand their behavior due to the extent to which they disrupt communications," said Barjatya.

What makes these elusive layers

The ionosphere is inhabited by charged particles ions which are commonly formed when burning meteors enter Earth's atmosphere, emitting gases like iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium. Such metallic ions are more massive than typical ions in the ionosphere and seek to fall below an altitude of 140 kilometers.Under special conditions, these metal ions group together and form the dense structures called Sporadic-E layers. Researchers have formulated functional models to describe how and why such layers develop in midlatitude regions, yet they act like an enigma in equatorial regions.

Why NASA launches from equator-adjacent Kwajalein Atoll

Kwajalein Atoll, a coral atoll in the Marshall Islands, provides a rare geographic boon: it is the nearest launch site to the Earth's magnetic equator reachable by NASA. Here, scientists can observe how Sporadic-E layers react near the equator where the ionosphere's electromagnetic characteristics deviate from elsewhere. By launching rocket-borne instruments from the strategic site, NASA aims to collect the high-resolution data required to construct predictive models of Sporadic-E formation and migration.Also Read | Rare black iceberg spotted in Canada sparks global fascination; here's what caused it