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ESA Prepares for Solar Storms: Launching Sentinel-1D in 2025

10/18/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch Sentinel-1D on November 4, 2025.
Recent simulations replicated the 1859 Carrington Event, testing responses to extreme solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
During the drill, an X45-class solar flare disrupted communications and increased satellite drag and collision risks from the accompanying CME.
ESA says events are not a question of if but when, and it is developing Distributed Space Weather Sensor System.

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Story summary

The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch Sentinel-1D on November 4, 2025.
Recent simulations replicated the 1859 Carrington Event, testing responses to extreme solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
During the drill, an X45-class solar flare disrupted communications and increased satellite drag and collision risks from the accompanying CME.
ESA says events are not a question of if but when, and it is developing Distributed Space Weather Sensor System.