Over six million people were left without electrical power for about 9 hours. Numerous other effects accompanied this March 1989 geomagnetic storm. Many other effects have been reported as well. Since 1989, technology has advanced considerably. We now have spacecraft that can provide the people on the Earth with wide-ranging services.
Pagers rely on satellite communications.
Even simply making a phone call or playing on the Internet makes extensive use of satellite communication networks. Financial institutions, weather offices, government, military, large corporations, hospitals and many other organizations are becoming increasingly reliant and dependent upon satellite technology for every day operations. There are concerns that with so many spacecraft now in orbit, a fraction of them may become vulnerable to the effects of hazardous space weather such as occurs following the impacts of large high-velocity coronal mass ejections. It is possible that some spacecraft may become disabled or temporarily disoriented during strong disturbances, which would result in temporary or even in some cases perhaps permanent loss of services to many industries reliant upon satellites for communications and data. The Solar Terrestrial Dispatch is actively engaged in providing computer software and services to those who may find themselves in vulnerable positions.