|
|
|
Can you hear me now?
17:11 p.m. EST Apr 19, 2004
Published March 18, 04.
Last fall we knew something was up when expeditions’ communications started going haywire – from Everest to the Atlantic. Sure enough, shortly thereafter NASA and ESA confirmed our suspicions that there was some atmospheric disturbances going on. Turns out there was huge level of solar activity and radiation pelting the earth that interfered with satellites and various electronics.
Biggest ever
It was so big experts were saying that some of the solar flares that erupted were the third biggest ever and even threatened blackouts. Fortunately, we didn’t hear of any blackouts, but some satellites sure got shaken up. Now scientists are saying that the solar flare on November 4th of last year, "was more than twice as big as the previous record flare." So big that sensors on satellites were getting over-loaded, like if you were to weigh an elephant on a bathroom scale.
How do they know that it was twice as big as the previous record flare if the satellites couldn't even measure it? Physicists have estimated the severity by examining how the X-Rays from the flare hit the atmosphere.
A glancing blow
Fortunately for us the earth did not get direct hit from the radiation, "If the accompanying particle and magnetic storm had been aimed at the Earth, the damage to some satellites and electrical networks could have been considerable," said a professor in a BBC article.
Can you hear me now?
For expeditions, this huge blast along with the others at the time broke down their communication capability. Data transfer through the sat phones didn't work at all and calls would be inaudible or cut off. Today on MountEverest.net we wrote about the different satellite phones and using them on Everest. High Solar activity was mentioned as one of the potential woes that the units could have.
Other woes
Another mention in the article was about the Thuraya phone cutting off sporadically when an ExplorersWeb correspondent was on the North Side of Khan Tengri last summer. As it turns out, even though The Thurya satellites are geostationary (not geosynchronous) they do move, "..new communications satellites may be placed in a true geostationary orbit initially, but there are several forces which act to alter their orbits over time," writes a Dr. T.S. Kelso.
This means that if you are in a position where a mountain or other object is just barely obstructing the phone’s line of sight to the satellite it is possible for reception to wax and wane as the satellite moves slightly.
Thuraya now has two satellites in geostationary orbits above the earth. This type of orbit means the satellite moves along at a fixed point above the earth’s surface. The first satellite had some issues with solar panels, so they put the second one up. They’ve got a third one too as a spare. The name Thuraya means 'Chandelier', which is a space constellation that was a guide for ancient Arab travelers.
Image of the sun on November 4, 2003 courtesy of NASA.
|
