The U.S. Navy has revealed details of a secret test to create plasma over the Pacific Ocean
Kyiv • UNN
On February 12, the U.S. Navy launched an Oriole IV rocket from Wake Island, creating an artificial plasma field at an altitude of 539 km. The experiment confirmed the conversion of electrostatic waves into electromagnetic waves in the ionosphere.
The U.S. Navy has released new details of a test during which a plasma field was artificially created over the Pacific Ocean in February this year to study energy-conversion processes in the upper atmosphere. Defense Blog reports this, citing a report by the U.S. Navy's Naval Surface Warfare Center, writes UNN.
Details
The test took place on February 12 after the launch of the four-stage Oriole IV sounding rocket from Wake Island. The rocket carried scientific equipment to an altitude of approximately 539 kilometers, after which several pounds of metallic barium were vaporized using a special charge. As a result, an artificial plasma field formed, and instruments recorded the electromagnetic processes that emerged afterward.
According to SMART program manager Christopher Netwall, the experiment was intended to confirm how electrostatic waves are converted into electromagnetic waves in Earth's ionosphere. The results obtained could form the basis for future military technologies.
The experiment took nearly two months to prepare
Ultimately, we are proving theories that will lead to providing capabilities for our military
The launch was initially planned to take place in Virginia with NASA's participation, but due to security requirements, the mission was moved to remote Wake Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Eight employees from the White Sands unit spent nearly seven weeks there, creating the launch infrastructure practically from scratch.
Defense Blog notes that the successful test confirmed the possibility of conducting complex expeditionary missile missions in remote areas. The U.S. Navy also believes that this experience could be used in future programs, including tests of hypersonic technologies and elements of the prospective "Golden Dome" missile defense system.