![]() Business resilience and continuity planning These training sessions are ideal for space weather forecasters and users of space weather forecasts as well as businesses looking to improve their resilience to space weather. Providing insights to the mechanisms behind space weather phenomena, and the data sets used to observe and their impact. We have developed and run bespoke training sessions that aim to raise sector-specific awareness of the space weather. MSSL scientists and engineers played a leading role in defining the payload for the Lagrange spacecraft and we are now building the solar wind analyser that will be carried onboard. Europe’s next dedicated space weather sentinel is called Lagrange, in recognition of the satellite’s location at the L5 point that trails the Earth in its orbit around the Sun. In our space weather programme we also work closely with industry to support the award of European Space Agency contracts in activities such as the D3S programme, Distributed Space Weather Sensor System programme, that will monitor the Earth’s interaction with the Sun and the resulting changes to the space environment around the Earth. We provide a t hermal electron magnetospheric population model that is used by spacecraft operators and providers and which is freely available on ESA’s website once an account has been created. We work closely with ESA to support their space safety programme and are providing input to their Space Radiation Expert Service Centre. ![]() This will enable space weather forecasters at the Met Office to better understand how to interpret Ovation model results. During space weather events, the Earth’s aurora evolves with time and we are using auroral data to improve the effectiveness of an internationally used model known as ‘Ovation’ so that it performs accurately at both quiet and active times. For example, satellites are negatively affected by energetic electrically charged particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field (in the radiation belts) and we are working to improve national forecasting techniques through developing a radiation belt model. We are also working on projects to improve our understanding of how space weather forecasting can protect our satellites. These models could potentially provide a 3-day warning for adverse space weather. In one collaboration with BGS, we are developing machine learning models that take solar wind data captured by spacecraft and use these data to predict so-called sudden storm commencements, which lead to induced currents that pose a risk to power distribution networks, rail networks and other long electrical conductors. Our tools are fast to run and complementary to work being done by other groups in the UK, such as the British Geological Society (BGS). We work with the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre to ensure that our fundamental research can be translated into tools that will improve space weather forecasting. Overall, MSSL has built a significant programme in the area of space weather which includes fundamental research, instrumentation and mission concept development, and sector specific training. We also design satellite instrumentation and develop techniques that can help improve space weather forecasts. MSSL has research and engineering teams that have, for many decades, been developing our understanding of the science behind space weather and we work to promote space weather dialogue and knowledge dissemination amongst those adversely affected. The UK has a space weather forecasting centre (Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre), space weather appears as number 4 on the UK civil risk register and businesses are increasingly including space weather in their continuity planning. Space weather is the term used to describe the effect that the Sun has on the Earth through causing changes to the atmosphere and magnetosphere that can ultimately disrupt our communications, navigation and electricity distribution systems. The effect that the Sun has on the Earth through causing changes to the atmosphere and magnetosphere that can ultimately disrupt our communications, navigation and electricity distribution systems.
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