Artemis II Mission Caused Unusually Large Atmospheric Disturbances
NASA's Artemis II mission, which carried four astronauts around the Moon in April 2026, created unusually large disturbances in Earth's upper atmosphere that researchers say could affect the accuracy of precision technologies such as GPS, drones, and self-driving cars. The findings, detailed in a pre-print study published in July in Geophysical Research Letters, raise questions about the potential impact on navigation systems as increasingly powerful rocket launches become more frequent.
The mission launched from Florida on April 1 aboard NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, carrying astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. The nine-day flight was the first time in more than 50 years that astronauts had traveled around the Moon. According to the study, led by corresponding author Charles C. H. Lin, the launch and later rocket exhaust burns caused three separate disturbances: one during lift-off, another about two hours later, and a third over 24 hours later. These disturbances occurred in the ionosphere, a region of Earth's upper atmosphere through which GPS signals travel. Changes in this region can affect the speed of GPS signals and, therefore, positioning accuracy.
Unprecedented Disturbances
The initial launch sent waves through the upper atmosphere, but researchers found some of the largest changes happened later, when the spacecraft fired its engines while already high above Earth. The engine burn about two hours after launch produced shock waves and what the researchers described as "unprecedented large-scale disturbances." The other engine burn, about 25 hours after launch, created a similar but weaker effect. Artemis II did not physically punch a hole in the atmosphere; rather, its exhaust caused a temporary drop in the concentration of charged particles in part of the ionosphere, creating what scientists call an "ionosphere hole." This can temporarily affect technologies that rely on signals traveling through the ionosphere, such as GPS.
The largest disturbance stretched across about 50 degrees of longitude—equivalent to roughly 2,500 miles at typical U.S. latitudes—according to the study. A separate analysis by researchers at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, reported by Space.com and Quartz, found that the Artemis II launch triggered ionospheric disturbances up to 10 times stronger than those that followed SpaceX's Starship test launches. No earlier rocket had stirred the charged upper atmosphere to the same degree.
Why It Matters: GPS and Autonomous Navigation at Risk
The ionosphere is a layer of charged particles that extends from about 50 to 600 miles above Earth's surface. GPS signals, which travel from satellites to ground receivers, must pass through this region. When the ionosphere is disturbed, the signals can be delayed or refracted, leading to positioning errors. For everyday users, a brief glitch might mean a wrong turn; for self-driving cars and drones, the stakes are much higher. A vehicle with no human driver has fewer chances to notice when its sense of location goes astray.
The study's findings are particularly relevant as the world moves toward greater reliance on autonomous systems. Self-driving cars, delivery drones, and precision agriculture all depend on accurate GPS. Even a temporary error of several meters could have safety implications. The Taiwan study found that the Artemis II launch left two ionospheric holes that could have skewed GPS by several meters. While the effects were temporary, the increasing frequency of rocket launches—both from NASA and commercial providers like SpaceX—means that such disturbances could become more common.
The Broader Context of Space Traffic
NASA hopes the Artemis II mission opens the way toward lunar landings and, in time, a lasting human presence on the Moon. Building toward that goal means more heavy rockets climbing from Earth, and every one of them passes through the same layer that navigation transmissions cross. Any upheaval a rocket leaves behind lands on top of the systems the public relies on every day. The open question is how large that disruption can grow and how far it can spread from a single liftoff.
The study examined one flight on one day, and every finding stems from that event. However, it provides a benchmark for future launches. As rockets become more powerful—such as SpaceX's Starship, which is designed for interplanetary travel—the potential for ionospheric disturbances grows. The researchers emphasize that the disturbances are temporary and not dangerous to humans, but they highlight the need for better understanding and monitoring of the ionosphere.
Artemis II Crew Moves On
In other Artemis II news, the mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, is taking a leadership position at a NASA-funded research facility in California. Wiseman, who in September announced that he would transition to an emeritus role at the U.S. space agency, will officially begin a dual role at both Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the end of November. The news comes more than a month after Wiseman and Victor Glover, who served as the pilot on the April mission around the Moon, jointly announced their decisions to hang up their spacesuits after each made his second trip to space. Since the Artemis II mission, all four crew members have stepped away from spaceflight for new careers.
Effective November 30, Wiseman will become the associate vice president at Caltech and the deputy director at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. In the position, Wiseman will serve in a leadership role overseeing laboratory operations and mission execution, NASA and JPL said in separate press releases. "Reid brings to Caltech and JPL a truly unprecedented view of what humanity can achieve when ingenuity and determination are matched with the courage to pursue the furthest frontiers," Caltech President Ray Jayawardhana said in a statement. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman lauded Wiseman for a career spent "at the edge of what is possible."
Perspective: A New Challenge for Navigation Technology
The Artemis II study underscores a growing challenge: as space exploration accelerates, the side effects of rocket launches on Earth's atmosphere must be carefully managed. The ionosphere is a dynamic environment, influenced by solar activity, weather, and now human activity. While natural variations in the ionosphere are well-known, the scale of disturbances from massive rockets like the SLS is a new variable. The 10-fold increase in disturbance compared to SpaceX's Starship launches suggests that the SLS's unique trajectory and engine burns play a significant role.
For the GPS industry, the findings are a reminder that space weather—both natural and human-made—can affect system performance. GPS receivers are designed to mitigate some ionospheric effects, but extreme disturbances can overwhelm these measures. The study's authors suggest that monitoring and modeling of launch-induced disturbances could help predict and mitigate impacts. As autonomous systems become more prevalent, the need for resilient navigation will only grow.
The Artemis II launch also highlights the interconnectedness of space activities and everyday life. A rocket designed to explore the Moon can inadvertently affect a driver's navigation app. As more nations and companies launch rockets, the cumulative effect on the ionosphere could become significant. International cooperation on space traffic management and atmospheric monitoring may be necessary. For now, the study serves as a cautionary tale: the road to the Moon passes through the ionosphere, and the journey leaves ripples that reach all the way back to Earth. As Artemis II's launch demonstrated, the impact on GPS and self-driving cars is a tangible concern that merits further research.
In the coming years, NASA and other space agencies will need to balance the benefits of exploration with the potential costs to terrestrial infrastructure. The Artemis II mission was a historic achievement, but its atmospheric footprint is a reminder that every launch has consequences—some of which we are only beginning to understand.
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