There is a section of the Earth’s atmosphere, lying between about 40 and 90 km, which requires special sounding techniques in order to obtain measurements that describe the behaviour of the lower atmosphere. The best method for obtaining these measurements is by means of rocket bourne experiments. This presentation will cover some aspects of sounding of the atmosphere with the help of rockets. The necessary technical essentials are presented as well as typical measurement data which otherwise would not be obtained.
Prof Martin Friedrich is based at the Institute for Communication Networks and Satellite Communications at the Graz University of Technology in Graz, Austria. His speciality is in ionospheric physics, particularly the lower ionosphere (below 90 km), and he is currently considered the world expert in D-region physics. He also has a vast knowledge of the science that can be achieved through rockets launched into the lower atmosphere, and has been an active participant on some 100 rocket launches in the past 15 years. Prof Friedrich is visiting South Africa as a guest of Dr Lee-Anne McKinnell of the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory (HMO), with whom he has been collaborating for the past 5 years.