What is a solar storm? ISRO stood like a wall in front of it and secured its satellites.

New Delhi: Recently some solar storms were seen in the solar system, although these storms did not cause any damage to Indian satellites. Let us tell you that ISRO was already in alert mode regarding this storm. In fact, the powerful solar storm that hit the Earth on May 8 and 9 was one of the most powerful storms in the last twenty years. This solar storm was expected to affect not only the Earth but also the infrastructure around the planet and even the Moon. During this storm, the spacecraft around the Earth and the Moon were also greatly affected due to the plasma released from the Sun. These plasma explosions are called coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and spread throughout the inner Solar System. About 50 Indian satellites were working in Earth’s orbit and their safety was in danger. Let us tell you that two years ago in February 2022, due to being hit by a geomagnetic storm from the Sun, more than 35 Starlink satellites started falling back to Earth after being launched just a few days ago.

What is a solar storm?

Due to activities on the Sun, plasma and other substances spread throughout the solar system, forming solar storms. These storms release energy in the form of solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) or solar winds. When these charged particles hit the Earth’s atmosphere, they interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. This can cause geomagnetic storms. These storms can affect many things on Earth, including satellite communications, power grids, and GPS navigation systems. Additionally, increased radiation may also pose a threat to astronauts and airplane passengers.

How was ISRO making the rescue strategy?

ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh protects the satellites orbiting our planet by providing round-the-clock monitoring. Fulfills functions related to their operation throughout their lifetime. These tasks include continuous tracking, receiving data and providing instructions to the satellites. The MCF team remained alert by keeping an eye on the signals of geomagnetic storms and moving quickly to protect the satellites as the material from the Sun moves towards the Earth. Was ready to work. When the solar storm came near the Earth, some changes were observed in the behavior of spacecraft, which increased concern. Especially in satellites that had panels installed on one side only, changes in the speed of the speed-keeping wheels and electrical currents were observed. Because of this, the MCF team instructed the satellites to repair themselves.

As the energy increased, threatening to damage the satellites, ISRO’s pre-emptive measures came into play. With precision and foresight, some sensors were disabled as a precaution so that critical systems could continue to operate. However, ISRO’s 30 geostationary satellites remained completely untouched by the storm and continued their work. It is noteworthy that the satellites monitoring the Earth also continued to operate without any hindrance. But, the impact of the solar storm was not completely negative. Due to the increase in density in the atmosphere due to the activity of the Sun, the pull of satellites towards the Earth could have increased slightly, which could have required early intervention. ISRO has confirmed that so far the navigation center has not detected any significant degradation in navigation services, which indicates that the impact of the geomagnetic storm is negligible.