Europe's Efforts to Improve Space Weather Monitoring

Juha-Pekka Luntama, Head of the European Space Agency’s Space Weather Office, explains how the Office is advancing knowledge of space weather and protecting infrastructure from its impacts.

Space weather is influenced by solar activity and other sources of energetic particles. Severe space weather can disrupt power grids, transport, and satellite operations, highlighting the need for monitoring and prediction.

The ESA’s Space Weather Office provides timely information to mitigate space weather impacts. It focuses on monitoring the Sun and space environment, developing a federated service concept, and delivering services through the Space Weather Service Network.

Georgie Purcell spoke with Juha-Pekka Luntama to learn more about the Office's objectives, key focuses, and the progress of the Space Weather Service Network.

The Office aims to protect infrastructure from solar events, engage users, enhance forecasting capabilities, and improve observation systems. The Space Weather Service Network collaborates with European experts to provide space weather products and services.

Challenges include limited observation data, but missions like Vigil and Aurora aim to enhance monitoring capabilities. International collaboration and the use of AI hold promise for better space weather forecasts in the future.

ESA is working towards an end-to-end space weather capability and hopes to establish an operational European space weather service in collaboration with the European Commission.

According to the source: Innovation News Network.