Srinagar, Feb 05: Space agencies around the world, including the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), have warned that powerful solar flares unleashed from the Sun could cause radio blackouts and disrupt communications, navigation systems and satellite payloads. ISRO officials confirmed that more than fifty operational Indian satellites are being kept under constant watch due to heightened solar activity, according to a report by NDTV.Anil Kumar, Director of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) said ground stations have already issued alerts to mission control centres, and contingency plans are in place to respond immediately to any anomaly.
He said, as quoted by the NDTV, that “There is a strong possibility of radio blackouts. All ISRO satellites are being monitored very closely,””Any communication loss will be attended to immediately.” He added.
Nandi said.Since the active region lies close to the Sun-Earth line, experts warn that the possibility of a stronger hit cannot be ruled out.India’s Aditya-L1 on the frontlineIndia’s first dedicated solar observatory, Aditya-L1, is now playing a crucial role in monitoring the unfolding storm. Positioned at the Earth-Sun L1 Lagrange point, about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, Aditya-L1 offers India a front-row view of solar eruptions before their effects reach our planet.Data from Aditya-L1 is helping scientists measure solar radiation, magnetic fields, and energetic particles in real time, allowing ISRO to issue earlier warnings and protect critical space infrastructure.
On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced India will make a large solar telescope. Perhaps the most telling of the announcements is the National Large Solar Telescope; it would cost about Rs 1000 crore and should be ready in the next five years. This unique telescope is to be housed on the shores of the beautiful Pangong Lake at Merak in Ladakh.India has just demonstrated its growing competence in solar science through the highly successful Aditya-L1 mission, which now observes the Sun from space. The NLST represents the natural next step: sustained, ultra-high-resolution monitoring of the Sun from the ground, complementing space-based data. The new ground-based solar telescope will monitor to better understand when and why the Sun gets angry and sends devastating solar storms towards the Earth.Planned as a 2-metre class optical and near-infrared telescope, NLST will focus on the origin and dynamics of solar magnetic fields, phenomena that drive solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and space weather. These are no longer abstract academic concerns. Solar activity can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communication networks, making solar physics a matter of national resilience as much as scientific curiosity.For now, speaking of this current solar storm, Indian scientists say there is no threat of catastrophic damage but caution that the Sun remains volatile. As the active region continues to rotate across the Sun’s face, India and the world remain on high alert for the next angry outburst by our friendly neighbourhood star, which actually nurtures all life on Earth.
