Does lightning affect artificial satellites?
Once you are a satellite you are outside the atmosphere. Lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon. A rocket carrying a satellite through a thundercloud might suffer some electrical malfunction. But that is brief period and you do not launch at that time because of atmospheric turbulence. On the other hand one does worry about electrostatic charge build up on the satellite due the effect of the solar wind and ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This problem can be avoided by proper design.
