An electron beam was injected into Earth's ionosphere on August 1, 1985, the flight of the space shuttle Challenger as part of the objectives of the Spacelab 2 mission. In the wake of the space shuttle a magnetically aligned sheet of electrons returning from the direction of propagation of the beam was detected with the free-flying plasma Diagnostics Package. The thickness of this sheet of returning electrons was about 20 m. Large intensifications of broadband electrostatic noise were also observed within this sheet of electrons. A numerical simulation of the interaction of the electron beam with the ambient ionospheric plasmas is employed to show that the electron beam excites electron plasma oscillations and that it is possible for the ion ascoustic instability to provide a returning flux of hot electorns by means of quasi-linear diffusion. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1989