The Sun has launched the apocalypse timer - scientists sound the alarm

In May 2024, unprecedented exercises were held to prepare for a solar catastrophe. Government representatives of all levels gathered together for the first time to test the United States' readiness for a powerful solar storm.

The two-day exercises were held at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and at the FEMA base in Denver. The Space Weather Center together with the National Science and Technology Council organized the event. Participants modeled an extreme scenario: several giant coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun are heading toward Earth. These colossal clouds of charged particles can cause devastating geomagnetic storms, paralyze satellite systems, collapse power grids, and expose astronauts to deadly radiation hazards.

According to the exercise scenario, the action took place in January 2028, when NASA's "Artemis-4" mission was already near the Moon. Suddenly, intense activity begins on the Sun: a series of powerful ejections heads straight for our planet. The experiment revealed alarming unpreparedness in the existing space weather monitoring system — there is a critical lack of data, modeling is difficult, and precious response time is rapidly diminishing.

The orientation of the CME's magnetic field proved to be a critical factor. Its influence is decisive, but accurate information can only be obtained 30 minutes before collision, when the cloud reaches the Lagrange point. This is catastrophically insufficient for implementing effective protective measures.

The main outcome of the exercises: there is an urgent need to expand the satellite constellation to improve forecasting, operational data collection, and create a full-fledged early warning system. Without these measures, the consequences could be catastrophic: large-scale blackouts, disruption of all types of communication, failure of navigation systems, and collapse in aviation, healthcare, and emergency services.

The exercises were given special drama by a remarkable coincidence: right during their implementation, the Earth experienced the most powerful solar storm in the last two decades — the "Gannon storm." It caused real communication disruptions and power outages, serving as an ominous reminder of the seriousness of the threat.

Currently, the Sun is at the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, and scientists are sounding the alarm: in the coming years, the probability of extreme flares will only increase. Now the main question is not whether a new superstorm will happen, but whether we will manage to prepare for its arrival.