The United Kingdom will develop a new space weather monitoring instrument for observing the solar wind to protect astronauts, satellites and ground infrastructure.

The Sun is always emitting magnetized plasma called the “solar wind,” and while conditions are often benign, a strong solar wind can produce disturbing space weather by altering Earth’s magnetic field. 

The most severe space weather can occur when the Sun occasionally discharges large bubbles of magnetized plasma known as coronal mass ejections . 

Such extreme events can be dangerous to astronauts and affect electrical infrastructure, telecommunications systems, aviation, and satellite navigation.

Now, thanks to the £ 8m (£ 7m) funded by the UK Space Agency, allocated through the European Space Agency (ESA), scientists from UCL’s Space Science Laboratory Mullard (MSSL) (University College London) will develop a state-of-the-art “plasma analyzer” that, when placed in deep space, will provide an early warning in the event of a detrimental phenomenon of space weather.

The most severe space weather can occur when the Sun occasionally discharges large bubbles of magnetized plasma known as coronal mass ejections. 

In the words of the UK Space Agency, “Space weather is a global concern, which is why the UK Space Agency and ESA will collaborate closely on Earth systems science, space and technology with the National Administration for Aeronautics and Space (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States. ”

In the words of Dr Graham Turnock himself, CEO of the UK Space Agency, “Space weather has the potential to cause serious disruptions to critical satellite and ground infrastructures , so it is essential that we take steps to mitigate this threat to through improving our ability to forecast extreme solar activity. In addition, the space weather mission projects our global influence by partnering with Europe and the US, driving and protecting the UK’s future knowledge and prosperity, and keeping Britain safe and protected from the potential impacts of space weather. “

Or as the UK Space Agency has underlined: “Due to the potential for disruption and impact on the industry, space weather appears on the UK National Register of Risks. In the next 5 years, NOAA and ESA, with the support of the United Kingdom, plan to launch two complementary solar monitoring satellites. The UK “plasma analyzer” will fly on ESA’s L5 space weather monitoring mission to observe the solar wind. The UK Space Agency is working cooperatively with ESA and the United States NOAA on their complementary space weather monitoring spacecraft on L1 (Lagrange Point 1) . Optical instruments for space weather missions are also being worked on in the UK under the current ESA program. ”

UK “plasma analyzer” to fly on ESA’s L5 space weather monitoring mission to observe solar wind

For his part, the director of the UCL (University College London) Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Professor Andrew Fazakerley, stated that “the UCL has many years of experience in research in space weather science and in the development of instruments with which study it; recently also through its role in supplying both solar and space plasma instruments for ESA’s upcoming Solar Orbiter mission. We are very pleased that UCL can take advantage of all that experience to provide a solar wind plasma analyzer designed to meet the special requirements of missions dedicated to monitoring operational space weather. “

Solar wind data generated by this instrument, and others at L1 (Lagrange Point 1) will be vital to enable the Met Office Space Weather Operations Center (MOSWOC) to issue reliable alerts to space weather phenomena to assist Critical National Infrastructure operators to mitigate, effectively, the risk that space weather represents today.

To which the Head of Space Weather at the Met Office, Mark Gibbs, added: “The Met Office Space Weather Operations Center (MOSWOC) is one of three space weather prediction centers worldwide. It provides vital information to help build the resilience of UK infrastructure and industries to space weather, thereby supporting the maintenance of continued economic growth. Due to its potential for disruption and impact on the industry, space weather appears on the UK National Register of Risks. The solar wind data generated by this instrument, and others at L1, is vital to enable MOSWOC to issue reliable space weather alerts. This helps critical national infrastructure operators to effectively mitigate the risk posed by space weather. ”

“Understanding our Sun is essential to guarantee the security of space”, stressed the United Kingdom Space Agency

“Understanding our Sun is essential to guarantee the security of space”, stressed the United Kingdom Space Agency, “with a launch scheduled for 2020, the United Kingdom has built the ESA Solar Orbiter, which has also had a Important NASA engagement and will be the first scientific spacecraft to provide close-up views of the Sun’s polar regions, and help us understand how solar storms develop. A PricewaterhouseCoopers report estimates the cost savings for Europe that would result from disruption and mitigation of damage Thanks to such an accurate prediction of space weather they could amount to 2.6 billion euros, thus predicting a return of € 6.25 for every euro of public spending on space weather technology. ”

“The UK Space Agency is driving the growth of the space sector as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and remains a leading member of the European Space Agency, which is independent of the EU. The United Kingdom is also playing an important role in space exploration and science, with a British rover that will travel to Mars in 2020, “he wanted to remember to conclude.