In the aerospace context, the thermosphere is a layer of the Earth's atmosphere that lies above the mesosphere and below the exosphere.
It starts at an altitude of about 80 km and extends up to 600 km. The thermosphere is characterized by its high temperatures, which can reach thousands of degrees Celsius, and it plays a critical role in atmospheric dynamics and the behavior of upper atmospheric phenomena.
Examples of phenomena in the thermosphere include:
- The auroras, which are caused by the collision of high-energy particles from the sun with atoms in the upper atmosphere.
- The ionosphere, which is a region of the thermosphere that is ionized by solar radiation, and it plays a role in radio communication, navigation, and other technologies.
- The heating of the thermosphere by the sun causes it to expand, leading to increased drag on satellites in low Earth orbit and affecting their orbits.
- The thermosphere is also the layer where the International Space Station and other low Earth orbit spacecrafts fly, and it also affects their thermal control and communication systems.
It is important to note that because of the high temperatures, the thermosphere is a hostile environment for most aircraft and spacecraft, and those that operate in it have to be specially designed to withstand the extreme conditions.