This illustration depicts coronal mass ejections, or bursts of solar wind, coming off the Sun's surface heading toward Earth. The blue paths from the Earth's poles represent some magnetic field lines. By the time they reach earth, these magnetic cloud of plasma can grow to 30 million miles in width, disrupting communications and navigational equipment, damage satellites, and even cause blackouts.
Credit: ESA/NASA - SOHO/LASCO/EIT
Galileo will be Europe's own global navigation satellite system. Two experimental satellites have already been sent into space while four operational satellites are due to get launched in 2011. When all is said and done, some 30 satellites (27 operational + 3 active spares) will circle the Earth.
Credit: ESA-J. Huart
Satellites Proofed Against Solar Flares
On Aug. 5, 2004, five spacecraft were engulfed by waves of electrical and magnetic energy as they traveled through Earth's night-time shadow. Sifting through the data sent back, scientists gained insights into the effects of 'space weather' on Earth's magnetic field.
Among other things, it's hoped that Galileo will lead to improved performance for a myriad of computer and communications networks.
The Sun's Influence on the Ionosphere
Map of the ionosphere, showing ionospheric scintilations due to incoming solar energy. As a result, global navigation satellite systems could be vulnerable to errors.