March 29 solar flare disrupts radios, threatens Artemis 2 communications

Technology Mar 30, 2026

A strong solar flare hit Earth on March 29, 2026, messing with radio signals in places like Southeast Asia and Australia, right as NASA gears up for its Artemis 2 moon mission.
The flare came from sunspot group 4405, which also shot out a burst of solar material (CME) that might reach us soon.

NOAA warns auroras possible March 31

Artemis 2 is aiming to launch no earlier than April 1 for a 10-day trip around the moon, but all this solar activity could make communications tricky during liftoff and orbit.
Solar physicist Tamitha Skov says teams need to stay alert for these kinds of space weather surprises.
Plus, NOAA has put out a geomagnetic storm watch for March 31, so if the CME hits, we might even see auroras as far south as New York.