The authors noted the May 2024 geomagnetic storm was the first major storm to occur during a period when low-Earth orbit satellite launches have grown dramatically.
A new research paper claims an intense solar storm in May may have caused a massive satellite and space debris migration. The authors noted the May 2024 geomagnetic storm was the first such event to occur during a period when low-Earth orbit satellite launches have grown dramatically, and highlights the need for the satellite operator community to understand how satellite drag will be impacted during geomagnetic storms as the solar maximum nears.
The month of May presented stargazers, who normally would not have had the opportunity, the chance to not only see the gorgeous lights of an aurora dancing across the sky, but to photograph an aurora in all its glory. However, the intense solar storms that caused the opportunity also brought with them other effects that were not as welcomed. One of those effects is suggested by authors William Parker and Richard Linares from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a new research paper, that claims the May solar storms caused LEO satellites to experience a drop in altitude, dropping towards Earth at a rate of 590 feet per day.
