Satellite To Warn Of Solar Flares

Satellite Article:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100208/ARTICLE/2081034

I have to admit that I am a Sci-fi fanatic myself and love the stories of space travel whether it’s fictional or realistic. But honestly, I don’t see how the satellite will help other than letting the scientist know when one is coming. Data retrieved from the satellite may give people more time to prepare, but how? Prepare to have our electricity out for 9 hours? Tell people they will have to rely on the old-fashion way for a while? Some people don’t even know how to live without a TV or a computer for a couple of hours! Is this a ‘productive’ effort to prepare to be unproductive? Eventually, I can see our technology exceeding our expectations to prevent technological failure from solar flares, perhaps I’ll live to see it, or maybe I won’t, but as of right now, I wonder what preparations can be taken when we receive data of an oncoming solar flare.

I flinched when I heard the project cost $856 million. That money could have been spent to help prepare or prevent technological failure. The satellite can’t prevent, only alert us of a solar flare.