[david-given]

How do Carrington Events affect satellites?

Power lines go bang due to induced current, because the distortion of the Earth's magnetic field due to the storm causes the two ends to be at different potentials, which the line shorts out. But satellites are tiny, so the potential difference between the two sides of the satellite is going to be very small.

The absolute potential of a satellite can be a problem because if the satellite is too strongly charged then it can react against the surrounding plasma causing damage to the surface. But that doesn't affect the electronics, which are shielded and inside. And it's not going to cause current flow to ground because, of course, there is no ground --- satellites are as shielded as they can get.

As far as I can found out, the biggest risk is simple radiation damage to the satellite components, but that has nothing to do with current flow...

[azernik]

According to this NASA article on the 2012 storm [1], the problem is that CMEs induce currents in the Earth's magnetosphere - the same phenomenon that causes the auroras.

https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/2...