A big storm on the Sun in May of 2024 caused big trouble for satellites. And they could face even bigger troubles in the coming decades.

The storm was an especially powerful outburst of energy and particles. When the storm hit Earth, it heated the outer atmosphere, causing it to expand. That increased the drag on satellites in low orbit, causing them to lose altitude. A study put the average drop at about 600 feet per day – the length of two football fields.

The satellites had to fire their thrusters to stay where they belonged. The study said that thousands of satellites had to execute those maneuvers – up to 5,000 per day. It was impossible to calculate all those maneuvers at once, so the risk of collisions went way up.

No impacts were reported. But the number of satellites continues to skyrocket. And another study forecasts that the Sun should get even stormier over the next 40 years or so.

The Sun goes through an 11-year cycle of magnetic activity. But there’s also a cycle of cycles. The average level of activity goes down for four or five cycles, then goes up for the next four or five. The study says we’ve reached the bottom of that “super” cycle, and should be on the way up. That means more big storms from the Sun, and more maneuvering by satellites – increasing the risk of collisions in low Earth orbit.

Script by Damond Benningfield