"Licorice" wrote in message
...
US satellite protection scheme could affect global communications
http://www.physorg.com/news74778465.html

A proposed US system to protect satellites from solar storms
or high-altitude nuclear detonations could cause side-effects
that lead to radio communication blackouts, according to new research.

If activated, the "radiation belt remediation" (RBR) system
could significantly alter the upper atmosphere, seriously
disrupting high frequency (HF) radio wave transmissions and
GPS navigation around the world.

The remediation system aims to protect hundreds of low
earth-orbiting satellites from having their onboard electronics
ruined by charged particles in unusually intense Van Allen
radiation belts "pumped up" by high-altitude nuclear explosions
or powerful solar storms.

The approach, which is being pursued by the US Air Force
and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,
involves the generation of very low frequency radio waves
to flush particles from the radiation belts and dump them
into the upper atmosphere over one or several days.


[snip]

From what I've read, ideas such as this have been floating around for years.
This is one of the experiments in the HAARP project.

Back in the 60s, there was even a fix-it proposed for the post EMP
ionosphere. They'd shoot a rocket to the upper atmosphere and explode a
charge to spread millions of tiny copper wires to restore reflectivity.

Frank Dresser