Impact of Rocket Launch Emissions on Polar Mesospheric Cloud Formation using AIM/CIPS Data
Abstract
Rocket launches inject water vapor into the upper atmosphere and may influence polar mesospheric cloud (PMC) occurrence under favorable conditions. This work uses NASA observations to examine whether July PMC frequency in the Northern Hemisphere covaries with the number of successful rocket launches. The total number of rocket launches is shifted in time to account for transport and formation. Cloud frequencies computed from AIM/CIPS Level 3C data for latitudes between 56° N and 80° N are compared to shifts in day and time of launch. The strongest correlations occur at higher latitudes, with peak values generally at launch windows shifted 4–6 days earlier. However, the relationship is weak to moderate outside the highest-latitude band and is sensitive to analysis choices, so the results should be interpreted as exploratory. Overall, analysis suggests that launch activity may contribute to interannual PMC variability, but rocket launches alone are not enough to predict cloud frequency.
Nattanan Wongprapinkul
PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant (co-advised)
Nattanan is a PhD student in the Aerospace Engineering department at the University of Michigan. His research interests include space infrastructure development, space system design, and trajectory optimization.
