Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellites were caught up in a solar storm, tumbling the recently launched satellites out of orbit. Almost 40 of the 49 small satellites launched earlier this month have either re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere or burned up, the company said. 

What is Solar Strom?

A solar storm is a massive explosion of electrified or magnetic plasmas that discharge at a incredible speed from its surface. Basically, they are electrical storms that can affect spacecraft and other power systems.  According to the NASA blog, the primary ways they monitor this solar flare is through x-rays and optical light.

In a solar flare, electrons, protons, and heavier particles are accelerated. Earth’s magnetosphere, too, gets affected due to this activity. In simple terms, the solar storm is a huge burst of charged particles that can affect spacecraft or electronics.

How does solar storm/flare occur?

A spot on the surface of the Sun appears to be dark . Electrically charged gases generate magnetic forces called the ‘magnetic fields’. A solar storm is caused due to these magnetic fields.

A solar storm is the sudden explosion of energy caused by the magnetic force associated with the sunspot.

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FILE PHOTO: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon capsule, is launched carrying three NASA and one ESA astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. November 10, 2021. 

SpaceX satellites falling out of orbit after solar storm

Does this affect Earth?

Some solar flares reach Earth, but not all. These flares that reach the Earth can impact its upper atmosphere.