Investigating the claims of member Synchro 1

[MileHigh]

The threat to satellites, especially those in geosynchronous or geostationary orbits, from solar plasma discharges (more properly called Corona Mass Ejections, CME, or solar flares) is very real, because they are way up in space and are not protected by the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field as much as we are here on the ground. However, should a big CME strike the Earth, it will still create havoc both with satellites and here on the ground, as enough energy will couple into the wires of the electric grid to blow out a bunch of stuff, including the hard-to-replace grid transformers. Had such a large CME / flare event happened during the Apollo moonwalk missions, the astronauts would have been toast.

Can't forget the infamous March 1989 geomagnetic storm!