A massive solar storm has canceled thousands of flights around the world

In a rare event that space scientists have dubbed the Grand May Event, a massive solar storm caused widespread disruption to air navigation systems. This rare atmospheric phenomenon, which was accompanied by a sharp increase in cosmic rays, led to the grounding of thousands of flights around the world and disrupted the communication systems of airplanes. Analysts consider this event to be one of nature’s most serious warnings to human technology-oriented infrastructure in the 21st century.

According to Tekna technology and technology news media, quoted by BBC, technical investigations show that the energetic charged particles caused by this storm have caused software errors known as SEU by penetrating the sensitive electronic circuits of the planes. These errors can change the memory bits of the flight computers and lead to the transmission of incorrect information or even a sudden shutdown of the systems. Although aerospace engineers have taken several protective measures to deal with such conditions, the severity of this event has exceeded the usual design standards.

After this incident, international aviation organizations ordered an immediate review of flight safety protocols in space weather conditions. Experts believe that with the increase in solar activities in the coming years, the aviation industry should prepare itself to face similar challenges. Improving the resistance of hardware against radiation and developing non-digital backup systems are among the proposed solutions to prevent the recurrence of such crises.