--- title: "Taiwanese scientists: SLS launch for Artemis II disturbed the ionosphere three times and may have compromised GPS accuracy" description: "Taiwanese researchers found that the SLS launch for the Artemis II mission disturbed the ionosphere three times, potentially leading to meter-level GPS errors for drones and autonomous vehicles." date: 2026-11-09T19:19:47.159Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/taiwan-scientists-artemis-ii-ionosphere-gps tags: [sls-rocket, artemis-ii, gps, ionosphere, nasa, space-launch] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Taiwanese scientists: SLS launch for Artemis II disturbed the ionosphere three times and may have compromised GPS accuracy ![SLS rocket launch for the Artemis II mission into a clear sky with an American flag nearby](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/09/sks-artemis-ii-ionosfera-sboi-gps/sks-artemis-ii-ionosfera-sboi-gps-1.webp) ## Key Points - Taiwanese scientists assessed the impact of the SLS launch during Artemis II on the ionosphere and GPS using data from tectonic monitoring stations. - The April 1, 2026 launch caused three ionospheric disturbances: at liftoff, ~1h 48m after, and ~25h after launch. - The largest disturbance (second episode) spread over approximately 5,000 km above North America. - Coordinate errors can reach several meters, critical for drones and autonomous vehicles; no actual failures were documented. A group of Taiwanese scientists has published a paper assessing the impact of large rocket launches on Earth's ionosphere and, consequently, on the performance of global positioning systems (GPS). The authors used data from ground-based sensors that recorded massive disturbances during the Artemis II mission, concluding that such events can introduce meter-level errors in coordinate positioning — a critical issue for GPS-dependent drones and autonomous vehicles. ### Measuring the rocket's impact on the ionosphere To conduct the assessment, the researchers utilized a network of stations designed to track tectonic plate movement. These stations are equipped with high-precision GPS receivers, providing the most accurate picture of the global positioning network's state. The ionosphere extends from 48 to 965 km above sea level and contains free electrons — an ionized region of the upper atmosphere. Because GPS satellites are positioned much higher, at an altitude of about 20,200 km, signals passing through the disturbed ionosphere experience delays, affecting positioning accuracy. ### Three disturbance episodes per flight According to the measurements, the Artemis II rocket launch on April 1, 2026, caused three major ionospheric disturbances. The first occurred immediately at launch, accompanied by the propagation of acoustic and gravity waves. The second was recorded approximately 1 hour and 48 minutes after liftoff, when the upper stage engines were ignited to raise the orbit's apogee. The third episode occurred about 25 hours after launch during the trajectory insertion maneuver toward the Moon. The latter two events were marked by particularly pronounced changes in electron density. ### Why upper stages had a stronger effect The most massive disturbance was associated with the second episode: it spread over approximately 50 degrees of longitude over North America, covering roughly 5,000 km. The researchers emphasize that the impact is created not only by the mechanical passage of the rocket through the atmosphere. Rocket fuel combustion products, entering the ionized medium, trigger chemical reactions that reduce the concentration of free electrons, while shock waves play an additional role. Remarkably, subsequent engine firings caused stronger disturbances than the initial SLS boosters, despite significantly lower thrust, highlighting the importance of altitude and maneuvering conditions. ### What this means for GPS and autonomous systems Changes in electron concentration affect the propagation speed of GPS radio signals. The authors estimate that such disturbances could lead to coordinate determination errors of several meters, which is potentially significant for self-driving cars and drones. However, the researchers do not cite instances of actual failures during the historic crewed launch and subsequent orbital maneuvers. It is noted that the GPS signal disturbance caused by the SLS rocket was ten times stronger than anything observed during the Starship test flights, and future lunar and Martian missions will impact the system even more severely. The authors urge that measures be taken before accidents related to such errors become a reality. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Лунная ракета NASA SLS продырявила ионосферу Земли так, что это могло вызвать фатальные сбои GPS](https://3dnews.ru/1151055) - Primary source: the research paper by Taiwanese scientists, detailing the three episodes of ionospheric disturbance during the April 1, 2026, Artemis II launch and their impact on GPS. - [Лунная ракета NASA SLS продырявила ионосферу Земли так, что это могло вызвать фатальные сбои GPS](https://3dnews.ru/1151055/lunnaya-raketa-nasa-sls-prodiryavila-ionosferu-zemli-tak-chto-mogla-vizvat-fatalnie-sboi-gps) - Duplicate link to the same study; the summary matches the original content. ## FAQ ### When did the launch studied in the report take place? The Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026; its data was used to assess ionospheric disturbances. ### How many times did the launch disturb the ionosphere? Three times: at launch, about 1 hour 48 minutes after upper-stage engine ignition, and about 25 hours after launch during the lunar trajectory maneuver. ### What was the scale of the largest disturbance? The authors estimate it spread over approximately 50 degrees of longitude across North America, or about 5,000 km. ### Were any actual GPS failures recorded due to this launch? No, the authors do not cite any actual failure consequences during this launch and subsequent maneuvers; they refer to potential errors of several meters.