Spacecraft faults: more common over the South Atlantic

Spacecraft faults are more common over the South Atlantic during times of high solar activity. It is there that a local weakness in Earth's magnetic field leads to an enhanced level of charged atomic particles which can cause damage to onboard electronic systems. This 'South Atlantic Anomaly' is illustrated here with a chart showing memory upsets to the veteran UoSAT-2 spacecraft. The image shows the distribution of memory upsets experienced by UOSAT-2. They cluster strongly over South America. Scientists and satellite operators try to shield instruments and computers against the penetrating particles and limit the use of these types of systems while drifting through the South Atlantic Anomaly.