Space Weather Events (SWE)
Monitoring space weather
Geomagnetic storms and solar flares can harm satellite electronics in space and impact electricity grids on Earth. Understanding the effects of space weather is key to mitigate the risks associated with them.
SWE in a nutshell
Geomagnetic storms and solar flares can harm satellite electronics in space and impact electricity grids on Earth. Understanding the effects of space weather is key to mitigating the risks associated with them.
SWE is a subcomponent of the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) component of the EU Space Programme. The EU space weather service, currently being set up, will help the space user domain (satellite operators and satellite tracking services) potentially affected by space weather events to better prepare for and mitigate adverse effects.
Why is SWE important for our Union?
Space weather events are changes in the space environment caused by solar activity, including solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and variations in the solar wind and magnetic fields. The most visible effects of space weather on Earth are the Aurora Borealis.
Space weather can affect systems in orbit and on Earth: radiation storms can harm satellite electronics and make them unusable, and geomagnetic storms can increase drag affecting satellite paths making it harder to coordinate space traffic. In extreme forms, it can endanger astronauts in space, disrupt communication and temporarily shut down the electricity grid on Earth.
Understanding the effects of space weather events on Earth, assets and human life is therefore vital to mitigate the risks associated with them.
The EU is preparing the establishment of an EU space weather service which will address the needs of the space domain i.e. satellite operators and SST providers, the user groups most directly impacted by space weather events.
To establish the EU space weather service, the EU assessed and identified user needs, performed an impact assessment of different service scenarios, and supports the development of space weather models and the development, testing and validation of new space weather prediction capabilities.
The European Commission is the programme manager for SWE.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is the entrusted partner of the European Commission for SWE. Under the supervision of the Commission, it prepares, launches and carries out studies and procurement procedures to prepare the setup of the EU space weather service.
The European Parliament and the Council are currently working on new legislative proposals from the European Commission, in particular the proposals for a European Competitiveness Fund Regulation (2028–2034) and an EUSPA Regulation. The outcome of these proposals, once adopted by the co-legislators, will help shape the future of SWE, making it even more efficient, reliable and autonomous.
SWE keeps the economy spinning
To prepare the setup of the EU space weather service, the Commission, through its entrusted partner, the European Space Agency (ESA), regularly launches procurement procedures in relevant ESA portals. These procedures are tendered to entities, such as private companies, research institutes, etc., thereby supporting the economic activities.
More widely, as the spill-over effects of a SWE event can have implications for sectors relying on the impacted infrastructure, such as the wider economy that relies on the space sector, addressing these risks helps support economic activities even during severe space weather events.
Other Space Situational Awareness subcomponents
Space rocks such as comets and asteroids approach the Earth and enter the Earth’s atmosphere regularly. The EU supports activities that help to study and track those space rocks to better understand possible risks.
The SST subcomponent protects satellites from collisions in space, monitors their re-entries into Earth’s atmosphere, and assesses in-orbit fragmentations