Modern technologies increase humanity's dependence on solar phenomena. The operation of satellites, navigation systems, solar energy, and power grids are highly dependent on solar flares, geomagnetic storms, and other solar phenomena. With the increasing use of modern technology, humanity's dependence on the sun is becoming more and more apparent. This opinion was expressed to TASS by the head of the Laboratory of Aerospace Photography and Landscape Geophysics at the Institute of Earth Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kirill Kholodkov. "Vulnerability has increased not because the sun has become more active, but because man has become more dependent on technology," he said. As the scientist explained, solar activity can affect technological infrastructure in several ways at the same time. Radiation from solar flares can disrupt shortwave radio communications, including those used by aircraft and ships, for several hours. Streams of high-energy particles can cause satellite electronics to malfunction and damage solar panels on the spacecraft. Geomagnetic storms, in turn, can disrupt the operation of power grids, causing transformers to overheat and fail protection systems. At the same time, there is a disruption in the operation of GPS, GLONASS and other satellite navigation systems on which transportation, agriculture and logistics depend, Kholodkov added. The scale of modern technological dependence, according to the scientist, was demonstrated by a powerful geomagnetic storm in May 2024. "On the North American grids, protection activation and heating of individual transformers were recorded, but there was no mass outage. But it was pointed out how navigation satellite receivers at the height of US precision agriculture failed at such high US agriculture infrastructure. Low-orbit vehicles had to be actively adjusted "Some of the small satellites left their orbits prematurely," the scientist noted. At the same time, one of the main problems remains the insufficient accuracy of space weather forecasting.

Modern technologies increase humanity's dependence on solar phenomena. The operation of satellites, navigation systems, solar energy, and power grids are highly dependent on solar flares, geomagnetic storms, and other solar phenomena. With the increasing use of modern technology, humanity's dependence on the sun is becoming more and more apparent. This opinion was expressed to TASS by the head of the Laboratory of Aerospace Photography and Landscape Geophysics at the Institute of Earth Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kirill Kholodkov. "Vulnerability has increased not because the sun has become more active, but because man has become more dependent on technology," he said. As the scientist explained, solar activity can affect technological infrastructure in several ways at the same time. Radiation from solar flares can disrupt shortwave radio communications, including those used by aircraft and ships, for several hours. Streams of high-energy particles can cause satellite electronics to malfunction and damage solar panels on the spacecraft. Geomagnetic storms, in turn, can disrupt the operation of power grids, causing transformers to overheat and fail protection systems. At the same time, there is a disruption in the operation of GPS, GLONASS and other satellite navigation systems on which transportation, agriculture and logistics depend, Kholodkov added. The scale of modern technological dependence, according to the scientist, was demonstrated by a powerful geomagnetic storm in May 2024. "On the North American grids, protection activation and heating of individual transformers were recorded, but there was no mass outage. But it was pointed out how navigation satellite receivers at the height of US precision agriculture failed at such high US agriculture infrastructure. Low-orbit vehicles had to be actively adjusted "Some of the small satellites left their orbits prematurely," the scientist noted. At the same time, one of the main problems remains the insufficient accuracy of space weather forecasting.