NASA's hold mission created such a hole in the Earth's upper atmosphere that it disrupted GPS signals

The Artemis-2 mission's launch in April 2026 caused significant disturbances in Earth's ionosphere, leading to temporary GPS positioning errors. Researchers from National Cheng Kung University analyzed data from high-precision GPS networks used to measure tectonic movements. They found that the ionospheric disruptions during Artemis-2 were up to ten times more intense than those observed after SpaceX's Starship test launches. The mission, marking humanity's return to the Moon after over fifty years, resulted in electron density changes in the ionosphere, causing positioning inaccuracies that could affect drone navigation and future missions. The study highlights the potential for increased space weather impacts as more lunar and Martian missions are planned.