The Importance of Space Weather Monitoring

Space weather refers to the radiation that affects satellites and spacecraft due to solar events, which can disrupt their operations. The rapid increase in the number of satellites in orbit—from 7,000 today to an estimated 50,000 in the next decade—highlights the growing significance of space weather, as the impact of solar storms is set to become exponentially greater. The startup Mission Space is launching a constellation of satellites aimed at providing near real-time space weather monitoring to enhance safety and operational efficiency in the increasingly crowded space environment. This initiative aims to fill the gaps left by current monitoring systems, which are limited and aging, thus offering crucial data for sectors such as aviation, agriculture, and space exploration.