How does the sun affect satellite communications?

The sun's activity can have a significant impact on satellite communications. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections can cause disruptions in satellite transmissions and damage satellites. Solar flares are bursts of radiation that can cause radio blackouts and interfere with communication signals. Coronal mass ejections are large explosions of plasma and magnetic field from the sun's corona that can cause geomagnetic storms that can damage satellites and disrupt satellite communications.

The sun's solar wind, a stream of charged particles that flows from the sun, can also affect satellite communications by creating a drag force on satellites in orbit, which can cause their orbits to change. This can result in the need for frequent repositioning of satellites to maintain their orbits.