Catastrophic Solar Storm Will Wipe Out Internet, Space Expert Says

The destruction of satellites caused by "an impending calamitous solar storm" could lead to the death of the internet and electric power grids, according to a space expert recently. Joseph N. Pelton, ex dean of Strasbourg's International Space University (ISU) has published an article describing how network damage caused by solar storm could be a likely event in the future due to the movement of Earth's magnetic poles. The measure to avoid facing such an alarming situation reportedly lies in building shields, according to Pelton.

Mankind has to prepare a megastructure by creating an artificial Van Allen electro-magnetic shield to protect Earth, Pelton feels. Our planet has two natural Van Allen electro-magnetic shields, which are radiation belts comprised of energy particles held together by gravity. However, as per Pelton, they are not enough to save the main satellite systems for defence, navigations and communications, or global internet time synchronization, which could reduce the global infrastructure and world's economic systems to shambles.

Incidentally the Carrington Event of 1859, one of the most massive solar storms to have ever been recorded in history, was reported to have made the night look like day and brought down the telegraph system. Such an event in today's world, which is highly dependent on the satellite system and power grids, will have catastrophic results.

Pelton's observations are not standalone, and a similar point has been previously made by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). "A naturally occurring solar weather event could have a significant impact on the nation's electric grid," the GAO said. "Other infrastructure sectors that depend on electricity, such as communications" would be affected, too.

Gradually shifting magnetic poles, which have incidentally moved 1,102 kilometers over the 150 years, have a huge impact on the protection levels accorded by the magnetosphere or Van Allen shields. Therefore, according to Pelton, the solution lies in building a megastructure which will also be "multi-functional, incorporating solar power satellites to beam back clean energy to Earth and acting as a way-station for efficient transportation to other points in the solar system such as asteroids, the Moon or Mars".