[jerf]

Does it damage the ionosphere? According to what definition of "damage"?

I honestly don't know, so if someone can explain how it really is damage, please do so by all means. But despite some popular suppositions to the contrary, "affects" != "damage". I know it affects it, probably from the same article from a week or so back as you, but that doesn't mean it's "damaged".

[Rebelgecko]

I guess "damage" is a judgement call I'm not really qualified to make. Someone could probably make the argument that humanity can't "damage" a natural system because we're part of nature. When half the electrons disappear over a few thousand square kilometers, it's not inherently better or worse. It may annoy someone at Arecibo Observatory or a HAM radio operator or a GPS user, but maybe there's also some positive aspects of that temporary depletion.