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Indian satellites safe from solar flare: ISRO

October 31, 2003 20:00 IST

The biggest recorded solar flare that hit earth's magnetic field in the last two days has not affected any of India's communication satellites, an Indian Space Research Organisation official said on Friday.

"The solar flares are a natural phenomenon. So far none of our satellites are affected by it. We are keeping a watch," ISRO Satellite Communications Programme Office Director A Bhaskaranarayana said over phone from Hassan, where ISRO's Master Control Facility to monitor satellites is located.

India has nine operational satellites in geostationary orbit.

While the low earth orbit satellites are relatively safer, it is the high-altitude geostationary satellites that are threatened when solar flares hurtle towards the earth.

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