What is Space Weather?
The perpetual emission of radiation and plasma from the Sun creates a phenomenon known as space weather, triggering the mesmerizing light displays in Earth’s sky called the aurora borealis or northern lights. But it can also disrupt and damage the essential technologies integral to everyday life on Earth. The most extreme solar flares and geomagnetic storms garner the most attention, but even mild storms can have major impacts on satellite operations, communications, the power grid, and many other sectors providing critical services.
The number and location of dark, planet-sized, magnetic spots protruding through the surface of the Sun varies on an 11-year cycle. That cycle drives the fluctuating risk of space weather impacts near and on Earth. These sunspots can generate solar flares, intense outbursts of radiation traveling at the speed of light and reaching Earth in just eight minutes. They can also unleash coronal mass ejections, huge streams of gas and particles racing through space at speeds up to a million miles per hour, able to reach Earth in one to three days. All the while, a continuous stream of charged particles called the solar wind, as well as ever-present energetic particles originating from outside our solar system, constantly disrupt Earth’s magnetosphere and drive dynamic space weather impacts.
Existing space weather forecasts lack the accuracy and lead time satellite operators and numerous industries need for proper planning and response. And most forecasts are a one-size-fits-all that don’t differentiate the potential impacts from one industry to another. Lynker Space is bringing a new capability to the marketplace, providing unprecedented forecast skill on timescales ranging from seconds to decades, and advanced warning of industry-specific risks and impacts.
