Ionosphere and hypersonic flight.

The ionosphere is the little-known border between the atmosphere and space. The ionosphere is the layer where air molecules are ionized. And without that layer, radiocommunication becomes impossible. Radio waves emanate from that layer, allowing them to bypass the barriers. The fact is that. The ionosphere cannot reflect all radio impulses back to Earth. The ionosphere also reflects the same frequencies that radio systems use on Earth back to space. 

The ionosphere is one of the most hazardous regions in our atmosphere. In that area, the craft must travel in the ion field. And that can lead to a situation where those ions endanger technology and human lives. In the past. Was enough. That spacecraft travels above the ionosphere and Van Allen Belt.  The Van Allen Belt is the area where Earth's magnetic field traps ions. The Van Allen radiation belt includes two layers. Outer and internal layers.  Those layers form at the point where ions that travel between poles impact. 

Radiation that comes from the Sun loads very high power energy into those particles. If a satellite travels in the Van Allen radiation layer. It causes high particle impacts. On the satellite. Sometimes it is suggested that if the satellite is between the Van Allen radiation belt. And the high-power magnet, which can destroy the satellite. The idea is that the magnet can pull those ions to the satellite, and those ions will cause the end of the satellite’s career. When a spacecraft falls through the ionosphere, it loses its communication. Between the command center and the capsule. 

A cross-section of Van Allen radiation belts. (Van Allen radiation belt)

The reason for that is the ions that surround the capsule. So, there are tested systems that can create an artificial ionosphere. In 1958, the U.S. military conducted “Operation Argus” in the Southern Atlantic. That operation included three 1,7 kilotons high-altitude nuclear explosions. The purpose of those explosions was to create an artificial ionosphere over selected areas. The purpose of that layer was to deny Soviet communication between submarines and command centers.  Today. The ionization can be made. Using radio waves. Coherent radio, microwaves, or laser beams. Those ion layers can deny the GPS signals. It can deny a submarine from getting its launching codes and operational orders.  And they can blind the ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) warhead radars. Systems like HAARP (High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program) create artificial auroras. To the atmosphere. That researchers can observe them. But. Those same systems can jam the satellite communication and navigation systems. 

Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird”

The idea is that those systems that create the ion layers.  Can deny the radars operate over some areas. The ion layer. That is. Between the target. And radar can deny radar seeing the target. The same ion layer denies radio communication through that layer. The answer to that problem could be the small drones that act as atmospheric satellites. The satellite communication. Through that layer can be made. Using two drone layers. The upper drone layer. That flies over the plasma layer receives and transmits data from and to the satellite. The drone can communicate with lower-level drones using laser communication. And then those lower-layer drones can communicate with the ground crew using radio communication. 

Lockheed-Martin SR-72 “DarkStar”

Those drones can act as relay stations. That conveys radio messages. In some visions, fast-flying drones can make an ion layer. Between strategic bombers and radar stations. The drone that hovers over some point. Can. Make GPS unnecessary in a limited area. The drone can transmit a camera image from its own camera. And the ground personnel can have the laser LEDs. That makes their positions visible to that drone. 

The ionosphere is important for hypersonic aircraft. The idea is that the shockwave of those aircraft packs air into their air inlets. When we think about hypersonic aircraft, we must remember that the legendary SR-71 “Blackbird” reached its top speed, Mach 3,2. In the altitude. Of 26000m. The air resistance is low enough. For the body of the SR-71. In. Hypersonic speed. The temperature can rise between 2000 and 3000 degrees celsius. In low pressure. Air resistance turns lower. And that makes it easier to control temperatures. Also, materials. These include titanium, boron, silicon, and tungsten. Can stay in their form in those extreme speeds. 

Today, miniature satellites. And sub-orbital probe rockets. Research that point. The reason for that is that. The new hypersonic aircraft. That which can operate in the ionosphere can turn invisible to radars. The hypersonic aircraft’s biggest problem is the heat. And that’s why it should fly to a very high altitude. There, the air resistance is lower. And that makes high-flying hypersonic aircraft possible. The idea in those operational profiles is that the aircraft travels at supersonic speed in lower altitudes. 

Then it jumps to the ionosphere. Controlling hypersonic aircraft is possible in those altitudes because the air is very thin. One of the reasons why the SR-71 flew higher than the U-2 is simple. The SR-71 speed was higher. The high-speed fly crams air into engines. The shape of the SR-71 aimed the shockwave straight into the air inlet of its jet engines. The speed of SR-71 was Mach 3,2. In 26000 meters. The SR-72 test plane can create a very strong shockwave. Which allows. It is to fly. Much higher than SR-71.  

https://thedebrief.org/secretive-sr-72-hypersonic-aircraft-successor-to-lockheed-martins-legendary-sr-71-could-soon-take-flight/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Allen_radiation_belt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_SR-72

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Argus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-frequency_Active_Auroral_Research_Program