NASA's Artemis II rocket tore 5,000km holes in the atmosphere — causing GPS disruptions powerful enough to force self-driving cars to 'change lanes'
- Researchers report on 3 huge 'perturbations' caused by Artemis II
- The rips in the ionosphere could affect GPS systems
- Further study is needed to assess the impact of the rocket launch
The April 2026 Artemis II mission marked the first time humans have been in lunar space since 1972, and scientists are still picking through the masses of data collected along the way. New research set to be published in Geophysical Research Letters has now revealed some unprecedented tears the rocket launch ripped in our upper atmosphere.
Known as the ionosphere, this layer is bombarded with solar radiation, causing it to be packed with free electrons and positively charged ions — a mix which means it has a strong influence on radio waves, such as signals sent by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites, including the Global Positioning System (GPS).
The study team found that Artemis II triggered three separate...
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