Massive Solar Storm Disrupts Satellites, Triggers Rare Auroras Worldwide
The event, later named the Gannon storm in honour of physicist Jennifer Gannon, became the most severe geomagnetic storm in 20 years.
What began as a routine space weather training exercise for U.S. agencies on May 10, 2024, rapidly transformed into reality. The event, later named the Gannon storm in honour of physicist Jennifer Gannon, became the most severe geomagnetic storm in 20 years. According to NASA’s Space Weather Program Director Jamie Favors, “Our hypothetical scenario was interrupted by a very real one.”
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Agricultural Disruption: GPS Failures and Crop Losses
One of the storm’s earliest ground-level impacts occurred in the US Midwest, where GPS-guided tractors malfunctioned, veering off course. The timing couldn’t have been worse—already delayed by heavy rains, farmers lost an average of $17,000 per farm due to disrupted planting.
Aviation and Power Grids Face Turbulence
The aviation sector took immediate precautionary action, rerouting Trans-Atlantic flights to avoid areas of high radiation and potential navigation failures. Simultaneously, power grids experienced stress, with reports of overheating transformers and high-voltage lines tripping under the influence of electrical disturbances.
Atmospheric Upheaval: Record Temperatures and Satellite Disruptions
NASA’s GOLD mission observed a record 1,150°C temperature in the thermosphere, leading to atmospheric expansion and higher levels of nitrogen. This increased drag on satellites, causing major disruptions:
- ICESat-2 was forced into safe mode.
- The CIRBE CubeSat deorbited prematurely.
- The ionosphere warped into a checkmark shape, disrupting radio communications by creating a temporary equatorial gap.
Magnetosphere Surges and Temporary Radiation Belts
The storm’s energy, amplified by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), injected vast currents into the magnetosphere—the largest in two decades. Observations from NASA’s MMS and THEMIS-ARTEMIS missions revealed the formation of two new temporary radiation belts between Earth’s existing Van Allen belts—a significant discovery for astronaut safety and spacecraft design.
Global Auroras and High-Altitude Mysteries
The Aurorasaurus citizen science project logged over 6,000 aurora sightings across 55 countries during the storm. In Japan, observers were stunned by magenta auroras. NASA later confirmed these originated at 600 miles altitude—much higher than usual—caused by a unique mix of nitrogen and oxygen in the storm-heated atmosphere.
Lessons Learned as Solar Activity Nears Peak
While the Gannon storm caused no catastrophic failures, it exposed critical vulnerabilities in agriculture, satellite operations, and aviation. With solar activity expected to peak in 2025, NASA is using this data to refine predictive models and improve response strategies.
“These findings are helping us prepare for the next big storm,” said Favors, highlighting the importance of early warnings and coordinated global responses in a time of increasing solar activity.
