Solar Storms Pose Greater Threat to GPS Satellites Than Sun Flares, ESA Study Finds

A new study by researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has found that mild solar storms can cause more serious problems for GPS satellites than once-in-a-century events. The study analyzed 20 years of satellite data and discovered that the most challenging incident for GPS spacecraft came from a minor solar storm in 2010, while the most significant space weather event in recent history, the 2003 Halloween storm, left the GPS satellites mostly unscathed. The study also revealed that the killer electrons, which can cause irreparable damage to satellites, may linger inside the spacecraft long after the solar storm has passed. While the GPS constellation is designed to withstand solar storms, disruptions in the signals emitted by the satellites can render high-accuracy positioning services unreliable, particularly in aviation.