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“Space weather” refers to conditions on the Sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life or health. Adverse conditions in the space environment can cause disruption of satellite operations, communications, navigation, and electric power distribution grids, leading to a variety of socioeconomic losses.
National Space Weather Program Strategic Plan, 1995. Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research, FCM-P30-1995, Washington, DC.Key concepts
space weather
climate
meteorology
Earth's atmosphere
Introduction
In the last 50 years, we have become a spacefaring civilization. With robotic and manned spacecraft, we have started to survey our Solar System. We have learned that we live in the atmosphere of a dynamic, violent Sun that provides energy for life on Earth, but also can cause havoc among its fleet of satellite and communications systems. Space weather is the emerging field within the space sciences that studies how the Sun influences Earth's space environment and the technological and societal impacts of that interaction – damage to or destruction of Earth-orbiting satellites and threats to both astronaut safety during long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars and to the reliability and accuracy of global communications and navigation systems.
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