Solar Storms Threaten Satellites: Catastrophic Collision in 2.8 Days Warn Scientists

• A new study warns satellite mega-constellations could fail within days if a powerful solar storm disrupts control systems, increasing collision risks in low-Earth orbit.
• Solar storms increase atmospheric drag and can damage navigation/communication networks, essential for satellite maneuvering, leading to loss of real-time control.
• Researchers introduced the CRASH Clock metric, modeling loss-of-control scenarios, predicting a catastrophic collision within 2.8 days under June 2025 conditions.
• This 2.8-day window has shrunk from 121 days in 2018 due to rising orbital congestion; even a 24-hour outage risks 30% collision probability and Kessler Syndrome.
• A Carrington-scale solar storm could overwhelm controls for over three days, potentially wiping out much of today’s satellite infrastructure through cascading debris.

Why It Matters: Intense solar storms threaten satellite control, risking catastrophic orbital collisions in days.