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Rocket Report: Artemis II literally tore through the atmosphere; New Glenn delay
Confirmed
In Short: A pre-print study reveals the Artemis II mission's Space Launch System rocket created significant disturbances in Earth's ionosphere, more intense than any previous rocket launch.
The Artemis II mission, the second under NASA's Artemis program, marked a significant milestone in space exploration by sending astronauts near the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
A pre-print study published in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters details how the launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket created unprecedented disturbances in Earth's ionosphere.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin announced a minor delay for its New Glenn rocket's return-to-flight mission, pushing the launch from December to January.
The company also revealed new developments for the New Glenn rocket, including a new kick stage and a new rocket engine design, addressing pent-up demand from NASA, Amazon, and the Space Force.
"We have achieved critical technical milestones, including Japan’s first successful firing test of an orbital-class methane engine," said Satoshi Nakayama, director of the board and president of Interstellar Technologies, which received additional government funding for its Zero rocket.
What this adds
The study highlights the need for further research into the long-term effects of powerful rocket launches on Earth's atmosphere and GPS signals.
The delay for New Glenn's return-to-flight mission is expected to address technical challenges and ensure the safety and reliability of the rocket.
What's confirmed
- The Artemis II mission, the second under NASA's Artemis program, marked a significant milestone in space exploration by sending astronauts near the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
- A pre-print study published in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters details how the launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket created unprecedented disturbances in Earth's ionosphere.
- Meanwhile, Blue Origin announced a minor delay for its New Glenn rocket's return-to-flight mission, pushing the launch from December to January.
- The company also revealed new developments for the New Glenn rocket, including a new kick stage and a new rocket engine design, addressing pent-up demand from NASA, Amazon, and the Space Force.
- "We have achieved critical technical milestones, including Japan’s first successful firing test of an orbital-class methane engine," said Satoshi Nakayama, director of the board and president of Interstellar Technologies, which received additional government funding for its Zero rocket.
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.
- 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).
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- When the SLS rocket lifted off April 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, it provided a staggering 8.8 million pounds of thrust – a measure of the amount of force used to push the vehicle off the ground – to send the Artemis II crew toward the moon in an Orion spacecraft.
- 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.
- Now, new research suggests that launch was so mighty that the SLS ripped a gargantuan hole in Earth's atmosphere on its way to space and disrupted GPS signals.
- A new analysis shows the atmosphere did not entirely forget it.
- The second story is a schedule slip paired with new rocket hardware.
- Ars Technica’s Rocket Report of November 6, 2026, written by Stephen Clark, pairs two stories that look unrelated at first glance.
- This analysis connects the two, separates confirmed facts from rumor, and explains what each means for the companies that build rockets, receivers and ground systems.
- The authors said the Artemis II events were unusual on exactly that count.