NASA Sls Rocket Upper Atmosphere Hole Observed During Artemis II Launch

NASA’s Artemis II mission launched on 1 April 2026, and the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket created two large disturbances in the ionosphere, effectively punching a hole in the upper atmosphere.

Ground‑based GPS receivers recorded temporary positioning errors of several metres, indicating that the ionospheric electron density had been altered along the rocket’s flight path.

nasa sls rocket upper atmosphere hole

Researchers from National Cheng‑Kung University in Taiwan examined high‑precision GPS data collected for tectonic‑plate monitoring. By tracking the travel time of GPS signals, they reconstructed how the SLS core stage and subsequent upper‑stage burns changed free‑electron concentrations above 30 miles (50 km). The analysis showed that the ionospheric impact of Artemis II was larger than any previous launch and up to ten times stronger than the disturbances measured after SpaceX’s Starship test flights.

Artemis II Ionosphere GPS Errors Hit 5,000 km

Two distinct “holes” were identified. The first followed the 212‑foot (65 m) core stage, and the second resulted from two upper‑stage burns at about 115 miles (185 km) altitude, more than an hour after lift‑off. Each hole stretched roughly 3,100 miles (5,000 km) across the United States, forming a transient contrail in the ionosphere.

Artemis II Ionosphere Hit: 3.7 TECU, No GPS Outage

Although the electron‑density changes corresponded to positioning errors of a few metres, the study did not observe a full GPS outage. The brief disturbance could nonetheless affect systems that rely on precise location data, such as autonomous vehicles and drones.

Comparison with other launches

The SLS’s thrust is greater than that of Starship, yet the ionospheric effect of the second‑stage burns—occurring inside the ionosphere—was more pronounced than the core‑stage impact. The researchers note that future lunar and Martian missions will likely produce similar effects, making the phenomenon a growing consideration for space‑weather forecasting.

Charles Lin, an earth‑science professor and co‑author of the pre‑print published in Geophysical Research Letters, emphasized that “a positioning error of a couple of metres is enough to cause an autonomous car to change lanes.” He warned that as launch frequency increases, the cumulative impact on navigation systems could become more significant.

The ionospheric holes dissipated within minutes, and normal GPS performance resumed shortly after. Ongoing monitoring will be needed to assess long‑term implications for satellite navigation as human spaceflight expands.

Sources: Space, https://tech-insider.org/, shattered.io.