In October solar eruptions knocked out two Japanese satellites and affected telecommunications and power grids across the world. It appears that sunspots are occasionally aligned in such a way that a burst of X-rays and gamma rays can be directed at the Earth, reaching us in minutes, while an intense burst of charged particles follow, producing a magnetic storm.
This could damage electrical equipment, presumably including avionics and, perhaps, fly-by-wire circuitry. Is a modern fly-by-wire aircraft safe in such conditions?
Robin Russell
Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK
Source: Flight International
