New York: In a significant development, Starlink, the satellite division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, issued a warning on Saturday regarding a “degraded service” amidst the Earth experiencing the most significant geomagnetic storm in two decades due to heightened solar activity.
With approximately 60% ownership of the roughly 7,500 satellites orbiting Earth, Starlink maintains a dominant position in the satellite internet market.
Elon Musk himself acknowledged the challenge posed by the geomagnetic storm to Starlink satellites in a post on X, highlighting the immense pressure they are under while affirming their resilience thus far.
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According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this geomagnetic storm ranks as the most substantial since 2005, with projections indicating its persistence throughout the weekend. This event poses risks to a wide array of systems, including navigation systems, power grids, and satellite navigation services.
Notably, before that cosmic event, the most recent G5 (Extreme) event occurred during the Halloween Storms in October 2003. This specific G5 event led to power outages in Sweden and inflicted damage on power transformers in South Africa, underscoring the significant impact of geomagnetic disturbances of this magnitude.
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Starlink’s network comprises thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit, interconnected through advanced inter-satellite laser links. These links facilitate the transmission of data at the speed of light between satellites, enabling the network to provide internet coverage across the globe.
