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Artemis II Launch Creates Unprecedented Atmospheric Disturbances; New Glenn Delayed
· Confirmed
In Short: The launch-related atmospheric effects could generate liabilities extending beyond conventional risks such as rocket failures, falling debris, and damage to launch infrastructure.
According to researchers from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, the SLS rocket's launch and the Orion capsule's orbital maneuvers caused three disturbances in the ionosphere, stretching about 3,100 miles each across the Americas.
USA Today reported that the SLS rocket provided 8.8 million pounds of thrust to send the Artemis II crew toward the moon, marking the first time humans flew near the moon in over 50 years.
The Artemis II mission, which launched on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, set the stage for a potential crewed landing on the moon as early as 2028.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin announced a minor delay for New Glenn’s return-to-flight mission from December to January, alongside new rocket hardware developments.
Ars Technica reported that Blue Origin revealed a new kick stage for the New Glenn rocket and a new rocket engine design during a single afternoon event.
The ionospheric disturbances caused by the Artemis II launch were significantly stronger than those observed during SpaceX Starship tests, highlighting emerging considerations for the space insurance market.
The launch-related atmospheric effects could generate liabilities extending beyond conventional risks such as rocket failures, falling debris, and damage to launch infrastructure.
While the Artemis II mission created unprecedented disturbances in the ionosphere, shattered.io noted that no on-record statement from a NASA official confirmed that the launch disrupted navigation.
The first disturbance came from the shock and exhaust of the 212-foot (65-meter) Space Launch System core stage climbing through the atmosphere, reaching speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour (28,164 kilometers per hour) as it left Earth's gravitational pull.
Not only is the 322-foot Space Launch System rocket among the largest in the world.
The pre-print study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, was published online in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters The Artemis II mission was the first of two planned flight tests under NASA's moon campaign to set the stage for astronauts to reach the lunar surface and establish a lasting foothold.
What this adds
The unprecedented disturbances in the ionosphere caused by the Artemis II launch highlight the need for further research and consideration of space weather effects.
The delay in New Glenn's return-to-flight mission and the introduction of new rocket hardware by Blue Origin indicate ongoing developments in the space industry.
What's confirmed
- By measuring how long it takes GPS signals to travel from space to ground stations, the researchers were able to reconstruct how the passage of the Artemis II mission's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket changed the concentrations of free electrons in the ionosphere — the electrically charged layer of Earth's atmosphere at altitudes above 30 miles (50 kilometers).
- NASA's Artemis II launch did more than send four astronauts around the Moon — a new study finds the rocket temporarily stripped electrons from Earth's upper atmosphere in two disturbances stretching about 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) each across the Americas, enough to cause GPS positioning errors of several meters.
- Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026, at 6:35 p.m.
What's still developing
- Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.
- The company said JAXA selected it for its Acceleration of Commercial Rocket Launch Demonstration program under the Space Strategic Fund.
- There’s a lot of pent-up demand from NASA, Amazon, and the Space Force for Blue Origin to get New Glenn back in action.
- Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
- The measurements found that the ionospheric disturbances resulting from the sheer power of the Artemis II launch were more significant than any caused by other rocket launches to date and up to ten times more intense than those observed following the test launches of SpaceX's Starship, which is twice as powerful as the SLS based on liftoff thrust.
- The launch of the mission also managed, apparently, to tear a massive hole in Earth's atmosphere.
- In April, the Artemis II mission sent NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen on a trip around the moon.
- A new analysis shows the atmosphere did not entirely forget it.
- The second story is a schedule slip paired with new rocket hardware.
- The authors said the Artemis II events were unusual on exactly that count.
- GPS satellites can look like this - they also help us track and predict weather A team of researchers from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan looked at a GPS receivers on the ground in the US, and found that the power of the rocket's launch cause disturbances there more significant than any other rocket to date.
- Artemis I took place in November 2022, and was used as a way to test all their kit, without anyone on board.