Geomagnetic storm that killed Starlink satellite 

  What is the news?

Dozens of Satellites that were part of the Starlink Project were caught in a geomagnetic storm a day after they were launched. This is being described as an unusual and huge event, as around 40 satellites, most of a single launch batch, were lost in a single solar event. 

What are Geomagnetic or Solar storms? 

Solar storms are magnetic plasma ejected at great speed from the solar surface.  

They occur during the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots (‘dark’ regions on the Sun that are cooler than the surrounding photosphere), and can last for a few minutes or hours.  

The recent storm that caused this loss was was unusual, an unexpectedly extended event and of a kind not seen in the recent past. As the latter part of the storm, with its high density core, possessed speeds higher than what was recorded during the storm’s arrival. 

Why are they harmful? 

Although all solar flares do not reach Earth, but those that come close can impact space weather in near-Earth space and the upper atmosphere. 

They can effect operations of space-dependent services like global positioning systems (GPS), radio, and satellite communications, high-frequency radio communications and GPS navigation systems, Aircraft flights, power grids, and space exploration programmes. 

They can also create disturbances in the magnetosphere which is a protective shield surrounding the Earth.  

Also, Astronauts on spacewalks face health risks from possible exposure to solar radiation outside the Earth’s protective atmosphere.  

What is the way forward? 

Current computer models are capable of predicting a storm’s time of arrival and its speed but not its structure or orientation. 

As the global dependence on satellites is increasing day by day for almost every activity, there is a need for better space weather forecasts and more effective ways to protect satellites. 

Source: This post is based on the article “Geomagnetic storm that killed Starlink satellite” published in The Indian express on 10th Feb 2022.