The description and test results of the prototype of a fast ionosonde for the vertical sounding of the ionosphere, which makes it possible to record ionograms once a second, are presented. Such a high rate of registration of ionograms is required to study the fast processes of redistribution of electron concentration during heating experiments, for registration of fast quasiperiodic and moving ionospheric disturbances in the F, E, and Es layers. The key feature of the presented development is the usage of publicly available radio-electronic components. This provided a significant reduction in the cost of creating the prototype. In the current version, the prototype is based on the software-defined radio (SDR) devices Red Pitaya SDRlab 122-16 and LimeSDR. The test results showed that the quality of the ionograms recorded using the prototype is not worse than the quality of ionograms recorded using the professional CADI ionosonde. The low cost of the components allows providing multi-position registration of ionograms for determination the dynamics of natural and artificial ionospheric disturbances in 3D region of space at a lower expenses rate, as well as to create a network of ionospheric observation points with an increased number of ionosondes.

The paper presents experimental data on the observation of an artificial airglow of the ionosphere induced by HF pumping by the SURA heating facility during the presence of a blocking sporadic E layer of the ionosphere. Optical observations were carried out on August 5, 2024. using a three-channel photometer and CCD cameras with narrow-band filters. Emission of atomic oxygen at the wavelength \( \lambda \) = 557.7 nm (green line), as well as airglow close to red line of atomic oxygen at \( \lambda \) = 630 nm and band of molecular nitrogen ions \( 1NGN_2^+(0-0) \) at \( \lambda \) = 391.4 nm (blue band), were recorded. The induced emission intensity in the green line reached \( \sim \) 270 R, larger than ever measured. Additional lower-intensity glow spots in the green line southwest and northeast of the main spot (\( \sim \)12°, from zenith), detected by the CCD camera could be due to the side lobes of the SURA antenna pattern. The atypical behavior of the time course of the intensity in the red line with sharp fronts of increase and decrease may indicate the detection of emission lines of hydroxyl groups in the OH(9-3) and OH(5-0) bands, spectrally close to 630 nm. More detailed analysis of the results obtained and new similar experiments will let to understand more deeply processes occurring in the upper atmosphere/lower ionosphere over high solar activity.

The paper presents experimental data on the observation of artificial airglow of the ionosphere induced by HF radio wave pumping by the SURA heating facility during the presence of a blocking sporadic E layer of the ionosphere. Optical observations were carried out on 5 August 2024 using a three-channel photometer and CCD cameras with narrow-band filters. Emission of atomic oxygen at the wavelength $\lambda$ = 557.7 nm (green line), as well as airglow close to the red line of atomic oxygen at $\lambda$ = 630 nm and the band of molecular nitrogen ions $1NG{N}_2^{+}(0-0)$ at $\lambda$ = 391.4 nm (blue band), were recorded. The induced emission intensity in the green line reached ∼270 R, larger than ever measured. Additional lower-intensity glow spots in the green line southwest and northeast of the main spot (∼12° from zenith), detected by the CCD camera, could be due to the side lobes of the SURA antenna pattern. The atypical behavior of the time course of the intensity in the red line with sharp fronts of increase and decrease may indicate the detection of emission lines of hydroxyl groups in the OH(9-3) and OH(5-0) bands, spectrally close to 630 nm. More detailed analysis of the results obtained and new similar experiments will lead to a deeper understanding of the processes occurring in the upper atmosphere/lower ionosphere during conditions of high solar activity.