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Satellites More At Risk From Fast Solar Wind Than A Major Space Storm

posted by janrinok on Tuesday September 04 2018, @10:02AM   
from the static-quickly dept.

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Satellites are more likely to be at risk from high-speed solar wind than a major geomagnetic storm according to a new UK-US study published this week in the Journal Space Weather. Researchers investigating the space weather risks to orbiting satellites calculated electron radiation levels within the Van Allen radiation belts. This ring-doughnut-shaped zone wraps around the Earth, trapping charged particles. Geostationary orbit lies inside the Van Allen radiation belts

The study, which analysed years of satellite data, found that electron radiation levels at geostationary orbit could remain exceptionally high for 5 days or more, even after the solar wind speed had died down. As a result, electronic components on satellites could charge up to dangerously high levels and become damaged.

Professor Richard Horne, lead author of the study, said: "Until now we thought that the biggest risk to orbiting satellites was geomagnetic storms. Our study constructed a realistic worst-case event by looking at space weather events caused by high-speed solar wind flowing away from the Sun and striking the Earth. We were surprised to discover just how high electron radiation levels can go."

This new research is particularly interesting to the satellite industry. Professor Horne continues, "Fast solar wind is more dangerous to satellites because the geomagnetic field extends beyond geostationary orbit and electron radiation levels are increased all the way round the orbit in a major geomagnetic storm the field is distorted and radiation levels peak closer to the Earth.

"Electronic components on satellites are usually protected from electrostatic charges by encasing them in metal shielding. You would have to use about 2.5 mm of aluminium to reduce charging to safe levels much more than is used at present. There are well over 450 satellites in geostationary orbit and so in a realistic worst case we would expect many satellites to report malfunctions and a strong likelihood of service outage and total satellite loss".

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Original Submission

• Re:Space Storm? (Score: 4, Informative) by c0lo on Tuesday September 04 2018, @10:42AM

  by c0lo (156) on Tuesday September 04 2018, @10:42AM (#730178) Journal

  What is "geo-magnetic storm" but high-speed solar wind?

  Hint: if high-speed solar wind alone is the defining component, why would it be called "geo"?
  geo-magnetic storm [wikipedia.org]

  A geomagnetic storm (commonly referred to as a solar storm) is a temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by a solar wind shock wave and/or cloud of magnetic field that interacts with the Earth's magnetic field.

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  prey tale

  Umm... which tale would fit? "3 pigs and the big bad wolf"?
  Or... did you mean "prey tail"?

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  Of what, ..., is Space Weather composed?

  Space Weather/Phenomena [wikipedia.org]

  Within the solar system, space weather is influenced by the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) carried by the solar wind plasma. A variety of physical phenomena are associated with space weather, including geomagnetic storms and substorms, energization of the Van Allen radiation belts, ionospheric disturbances and scintillation of satellite-to-ground radio signals and long-range radar signals, aurora and geomagnetically induced currents at Earth's surface. Coronal mass ejections and their associated shock waves are also important drivers of space weather as they can compress the magnetosphere and trigger geomagnetic storms. Solar energetic particles (SEP), accelerated by coronal mass ejections or solar flares, are also an important driver of space weather as they can damage electronics onboard spacecraft (e.g. Galaxy 15 failure), and threaten the lives of astronauts.

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  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford

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