NASA's Artemis II rocket tore giant holes in the atmosphere — and they could have broken GPS
We've never seen rips in the ionosphere like this before, and researchers are still looking at the potential impacts.
A new study has revealed that NASA's Artemis II rocket launch created three significant disruptions in Earth's ionosphere, a region of the atmosphere filled with free electrons and ions. These disturbances, which extend over 5,000 kilometers (3,106 miles) above North America, could potentially interfere with GPS and other satellite navigation systems.
The ionosphere, heavily bombarded by solar radiation, plays a crucial role in influencing radio waves, including those transmitted by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites like GPS. The researchers, who have published their findings in Geophysical Research Letters, emphasize that while no direct measurement of GNSS or GPS disruption was conducted in this study, the observed ionosphere disturbances have the potential to cause temporary, significant shifts in navigation systems.
Autonomous vehicles and drone positioning, in particular, could be affected, with even a small positioning error of a few meters leading to a car changing lanes or a drone drifting off course. The researchers plan to further investigate the impact of these ionosphere disruptions on GPS and GNSS systems, seeking to determine the extent of any introduced errors and how long these disturbances lasted.
Their findings will be crucial in planning future rocket launches and maneuvers to minimize potential disruptions to ground-based infrastructure.
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