NASA's Efforts to Prevent an Internet Apocalypse

Rumours of a global internet outage due to a severe solar storm have been circulating online. A solar storm refers to the atmospheric effects we experience on Earth that originate from the sun, typically caused by solar flares. NASA believes solar storms run on an 11-year cycle with their frequency varying. Their severity can also vary, with stronger geomagnetic storms causing interruptions to satellite, radio and internet functions. Should such an event strike today, there could be a worldwide blackout causing disruption for months, with its effects predicted to be 20 times that of a catastrophic hurricane due to its impact on the supply chain of essentials like foods and medication.