How will Australia's emergency services cope if satellites go down? With a sextant and a street directory
News Source
β’Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:00:19 GMT
π° What Happened
Australia's emergency services and military are learning old-school skills in case satellites stop working. Personnel are being trained to read paper maps, navigate without GPS, and sail by the stars using sextants. Experts at the 19th Australian space forum in Adelaide warned that Australians do not realize how dependent they are on space technology.
Optus satellite head Nick Leake said the threat is 'not science fiction'. He described what could happen if satellites went down: ATM networks would fail, emergency services would lose tracking, aircraft navigation would break, and remote communities would be cut off entirely. Solar flares or enemy attacks could knock out critical space infrastructure.
π The Backstory
Australia relies heavily on satellites for everyday tasks. GPS guides everything from delivery trucks to emergency response vehicles. Satellites also handle communications for remote areas, banking systems, and the energy grid. The military uses them for secure communications and surveillance.
Solar flares are a real threat. In 2022, a solar storm knocked out 40 Starlink satellites. The sun is approaching its solar maximum, a period of peak activity that happens every 11 years. This makes large solar flares more likely. Experts warn that a major solar event could disable multiple satellites at once, causing widespread disruption.
π― Why It Matters
If satellites went down, your daily life would change fast. No GPS, no ATM cash, no internet in remote areas. Learning old-school skills is a backup plan that affects everyone.
Australia's emergency services and military are learning old-school skills in case satellites stop working. Personnel are being trained to read paper maps, navigate without GPS, and sail by the stars using sextants. Experts at the 19th Australian space forum in Adelaide warned that Australians do not realize how dependent they are on space technology.
Optus satellite head Nick Leake said the threat is 'not science fiction'. He described what could happen if satellites went down: ATM networks would fail, emergency services would lose tracking, aircraft navigation would break, and remote communities would be cut off entirely. Solar flares or enemy attacks could knock out critical space infrastructure.
Australia relies heavily on satellites for everyday tasks. GPS guides everything from delivery trucks to emergency response vehicles. Satellites also handle communications for remote areas, banking systems, and the energy grid. The military uses them for secure communications and surveillance.
Solar flares are a real threat. In 2022, a solar storm knocked out 40 Starlink satellites. The sun is approaching its solar maximum, a period of peak activity that happens every 11 years. This makes large solar flares more likely. Experts warn that a major solar event could disable multiple satellites at once, causing widespread disruption.
If satellites went down, your daily life would change fast. No GPS, no ATM cash, no internet in remote areas. Learning old-school skills is a backup plan that affects everyone.