Overview
- The Artemis II launch, which lifted off on April 1, 2026, produced an initial ionospheric pulse and two later disturbances tied to upper‑stage engine firings over North America.
- Researchers mapped the events using timing data from high‑precision terrestrial GNSS receivers that measure how long satellite signals take to reach ground stations.
- Each disturbance exceeded about 5,000 kilometers across, making them larger than ionospheric effects seen in prior launches including those by SpaceX.
- Study authors say the electron‑density changes could translate into meter‑scale positioning errors that matter for self‑driving cars and drones, though no direct GNSS outages have yet been measured.
- Scientists plan follow‑up work to measure how long operational errors lasted and to guide future launch planning and resilience testing as crewed lunar and interplanetary missions grow more common.