Artemis II launch created ionospheric holes, study says
Researchers in Taiwan reported that the April rocket launch caused GPS errors of several meters, though no accidents were recorded.
By Bianca Herrera ·
A new study indicates that the Artemis II lunar mission launch may have created openings in Earth's ionosphere.
NASA launched the mission on April 1 from Florida. The rocket carried astronauts on a circumlunar flight, marking the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo program concluded in 1972. Researchers at Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University analyzed atmospheric data from that period. They found evidence of three distinct surges in ionospheric perturbations. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters in July, suggests these disturbances functioned like holes in the upper atmosphere.
The ionosphere extends from approximately 30 to 600 miles above sea level. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that this layer reflects and modifies radio waves used for communication and navigation. The researchers measured changes in this layer that corresponded to GPS positioning errors of several meters. Charles Lin, a researcher involved in the study, noted that an error of a couple of meters is sufficient to cause an autonomous vehicle to change lanes. He stated the effect could also impact drone positioning. The study identified these potential disruptions but did not confirm real-world failures. No GPS outages, navigation accidents, or other operational errors were linked to the launch.
Lin told Space that such disturbances could become more problematic as powerful rocket launches occur with greater frequency. The findings highlight the physical interaction between large-scale spaceflight operations and the atmospheric layer that supports global navigation systems.
