Nasa warns satellites at risk from extreme solar storms

Based on the intensity of recent solar storms, Nasa has warned that satellites in space are in danger. Strong solar winds have caused the Earth's atmosphere to reach its highest temperature in almost 20 years, putting satellites at risk.

According to a Live Science report, these storms, which occur due to solar wind and coronal mass ejections from the sun, have significantly raised the temperature of the thermosphere, the second-highest layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

The increase in temperature was tracked by Nasa's Thermosphere Climate Index (TCI), which peaked on March 10 at 0.24 terawatts (TW), recording this year's high temperature as the highest since 2003.

The report suggested that this temperature rise was caused by a series of geomagnetic storms that occurred in January and February. The thermosphere typically cools down after a storm due to infrared emissions, but because storms continue to occur, temperatures remain high. 

Stronger geomagnetic storms have continued to occur since that time, pointing to an ongoing warming trend.

Scientists predict the next solar maximum in 2025, indicating a continuing warming trend in the thermosphere. This increases aerodynamic drag on spacecraft, causing closer proximity to the planet and increased risks of collisions or unstable orbits. 

Satellite operators adjust their orbits to mitigate these risks, but predicting these manoeuvres remains challenging due to unpredictable space weather. Furthermore, according to recent research, the solar activity peak may occur earlier than anticipated, potentially raising the risk of a satellite disaster, HT Tech reported.

Even though there is short-term warming, studies show that over longer timescales, the thermosphere's temperatures are declining because of the excess carbon dioxide (CO2) brought on by climate change. Due to the extra CO2, the thermosphere cools as a result of increased infrared emissions into space.

In other words, the recent temperature peak in the Earth's thermosphere caused by solar storms has sparked worries about the effects on Earth-orbiting satellites. Although it is anticipated that the temperature will continue to rise in the coming years, long-term trends indicate a decline because of the effects of climate change.