The April 2026 launch of NASA's Artemis II mission generated unusually large holes in Earth's ionosphere, significantly disrupting GPS signals, according to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Researchers observed two vast openings, each spanning approximately 3,100 miles across the American continent, appearing after the spacecraft's core stage and upper stage engines fired within the ionosphere. These disruptions were more powerful than any previously recorded rocket launches. The study suggests these atmospheric disturbances could pose risks to navigation systems, including self-driving cars and drone positioning.
"It could have a strong impact not only on self-driving cars but also on drone positioning," Charles Lin, a study co-author and earth science professor at National Cheng Kung University, told Space.com. He noted that positioning errors of just a few meters could cause an autonomous vehicle to change lanes, potentially leading to accidents.
The ionosphere, an electrically charged region of Earth's upper atmosphere, was disturbed by the exhaust from the rocket's engines. This exhaust interacted with charged particles, creating a temporary effect akin to a minor solar storm. Scientists used data from terrestrial GPS receivers to measure the time it took for signals to travel from satellites to Earth, revealing how the ionospheric disturbances altered these timings.
While the Artemis II mission successfully returned astronauts to lunar orbit for the first time in 50 years, this study highlights a potentially significant environmental impact. Lin indicated that as space exploration expands, with more frequent missions to the Moon and Mars, such "space weather" effects caused by spacecraft propulsion could become increasingly significant.
