Starlink, the satellite division of SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, reported on Saturday about a significant reduction in the quality of the Internet service because of one of the most powerful geomagnetic storms over the past two decades caused by increased solar activity.
Today, the Starlink group has about 3800 active satellites in low-earth orbit, which is approximately 60% of the total of about 7,500 satellites located in Earth orbit. This makes Starlink a leading player in the field of providing global satellite Internet.
Earlier, Elon Musk reported in his account on the X platform that the Starlink satellites are experiencing significant pressure due to the geomagnetic storm of the G4 class, but so far they are successfully coping with these challenges.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office (NOAA) of the USA classified this storm as the most powerful since October 2003. It will probably continue throughout the weekend, which presents risks for the operation of navigation systems, electric networks, satellite communication, and other technologies depending on space weather.
Thousands of Starlink satellites in low-earth orbit use laser interlocutor communication lines to transmit data in space at super-high speeds, providing a global coverage with high-speed Internet. However, geomagnetic storms can violate the operation of this system due to exposure to satellite electronics.