Did you know the weather is not something exclusive to Earth? You do not need an umbrella to shield you from the rain in space, but there are still storms.
Space weather effects
Space weather effects
In fact, the space environment is affected by solar wind as well as the effects of other solar events, which can significantly impact spacecraft trajectories, satellite electronics, communications, GPS signals, and more. Space weather can disrupt the technology we have become so dependent upon on Earth.
That's where space weather research comes in: to help us better protect our technology and astronauts in space by understanding the physical processes driving interplanetary and planetary environments, and forecasting and nowcasting the potential impacts on biological and technological systems.
The field of space weather encompasses both the dynamic state of the space environment and its interaction with technologies as diverse as spacecraft hardware on-orbit through to power distribution networks on the ground. Space weather services aim to translate knowledge of space weather phenomena and their potential impacts into actionable information for system operators in the affected sectors.
ESA’s Space Safety Programme Office aims to detect, predict and assess threats from space and their potential risk to life, property, and infrastructure. ESA’s Space Weather Office is addressing those risks associated with the activity of our Sun with the goal of providing owners and operators of critical spaceborne and ground-based infrastructure with timely and accurate information that will enable mitigation of the adverse impacts of space weather.
Training Course Description
Students working on their group project during an ESA Academy training course
Students working on their group project during an ESA Academy training course
ESA intends to provide students with an overview and introduction to the space weather domain from a range of perspectives. This will include scientific and technological fundamentals, space weather monitoring, forecasting, modelling, and understanding of its technological impacts along with an outlook toward the domain’s evolution in the future.
The course will include lectures and hands-on practical work together with toursof key facilities providing an essential part of the current European space weather landscape: ESA’s Space Weather Coordination Centre and the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence at the Space Pole in Brussels, and both ESA’s Space Weather Data Centre and Proba-2 Operations Centre at ESEC-Redu.
Upon completion of the workshop, students will be evaluated viaa group project and will receive a certificate of participation and course transcript, allowing them to request ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.
Preliminary schedule
Day 1 Introduction to Space Weather: From Physics to Impacts
Space Weather Fundamentals I: The Sun and Heliosphere
Space Weather Fundamentals II: The Geospace Environment
From Physics to Forecasting
Group Project session
Day 2 Data Resources for Space Weather Monitoring and Forecasting
Space Weather Modelling
Space Weather Impact on Spacecraft Operations
Space Weather Impact on Space Surveillance and Tracking
Space Environment Impacts on Space-based Systems
Day 3 Space Weather Impact on Navigation and Communication Systems
Space Weather Impact on Aviation
Visit of the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence and ESA’s Space Weather Coordination Centre
Day 4 Space Weather Impact on Ground-based systems
Space Weather Socio-Economic Impacts and the Road to Operational Service Provision in Europe
Group Project session
Day 5 Visit of ESEC-Redu
Group Project session
Group Project presentations
Conclusion
