Earlier this year, local and national officials gathered for a first-of-its-kind tabletop exercise to test their readiness for a severe solar storm. The simulation exposed major gaps in scientists’ ability to forecast space weather, which threatens critical infrastructure on Earth and in orbit.

Last year, the most powerful geomagnetic storm in 20 years hit Earth. It produced stunning aurora displays in parts of the US that are normally too far south to see them. Normally, such storms are a headache for energy providers.