Official:Solar Wind
Solar Wind
Extreme solar wind eruptions are the result of project GENESIS. Solar wind contains high concentrations of radioactive energy particles which are lethal to humans. Only advanced shielding can offer protection. And only large mother ships and space stations use this shielding. Cities built into asteroids are shielded as well.
Small ships controlled by a player are absolutely not protected against solar wind and if hit, the player’s health will drop significantly due to radiation. The ship itself will take considerable damage as well.
Solar wind is most powerful and dangerous near the sun. Also intervals are most frequent there. Strength and interval decreases exponentially with the distance.
Solar Wind Impacts and Technologies
Since the Solar Event disturbed the integrity of the processes of nuclear fusion within the sun, the strength and range of usual solar winds has increased rapidly and keeps causing severe problems to unprotected (i.e. not hidden within asteroids) space stations as well as space craft. Intense solar winds now extend even as far as the asteroid belts of Jupiter and Saturn and although their turbulent intensity is marginal at such distances, the resulting radiation they propel still poses a significant health threat to international trade, transportation and mining operations. It also results in the increased cost of building safe habitats and general protective construction.
In 2072, Advanced Solar Armor Plating was developed; however, due to extensive cost, it is being widely used only on larger commercially owned space stations, which would otherwise be vulnerable to sun winds. Smaller stations and outposts use a cheaper method of solar wind protection; entrenching their facilities directly into the asteroids themselves and thus benefiting from the natural protection they offer. There are serious side effects from even short term exposure to solar wind radiation on unprotected living organisms and unless the ship cabin is protected with specially treated armor or other kind of (lead) shielding, the pilot may suffer serious health risks.
