Obama orders government to prepare for 'space-weather events'

President Obama issued an executive order Thursday outlining how the federal government will prepare for and respond to “space-weather events,” such as solar flares that can wreak global havoc.

These events “occur regularly, some with measurable effects on critical infrastructure systems and technologies, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), satellite operations and communication, aviation and the electrical power grid,” the order said. “Extreme space-weather events … could disable large portions of the electrical power grid, resulting in cascading failures that would affect key services such as water supply, health care and transportation … and safety across entire continents.”