The Netherlands invests in space weather forecast to protect vital sectors
A green glow danced in the sky over the Netherlands this winter, creating beautiful pictures. But the Northern Lights, caused by particles from the sun, also have a dark side. Stormy ‘space weather’ can affect satellite signals and even disrupt technology here on Earth. Here are five questions about space weather and why the Netherlands is investing in space situational awareness.
The Northern Light
What is space weather?
On a nice summer day, we all enjoy the sun, which gives us light and warmth. The same sun also determines ‘weather’ in space. When the sun is very active, sunspots appear on its surface. These areas full of magnetic energy can burst. This creates a solar storm, which can take various forms. A solar flare is a bright flash of both X-ray and radio radiation. More intense is the coronal mass ejection (CME), when the sun throws large amounts of matter into space. If the sun fires charged particles (protons) that travel much faster than the regular, constant solar wind, we call it a particle storm.
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) © KNMI
What problems can space weather cause here on Earth?
Bert van den Oord, coordinating advisor for space weather at KNMI, knows the answer. A particle storm can create beautiful Northern and Southern Lights, but it can also disrupt satellite signals. Communication satellites may suddenly work less well, causing problems with satellite navigation in airplanes, cars, and smartphones. A particle storm can also produce dangerous radiation for passenger airplane crews and astronauts on the International Space Station.
The consequences of a CME can be even more serious. In early February 2022, after a CME, dozens of satellites were lost, which had recently been launched into low Earth orbit. And in 1989, millions of people in the Canadian city of Québec were without power for hours after a severe geomagnetic storm caused by a CME.
Van den Oord says, “If such a CME comes directly towards us, the solar wind hits the magnetic field that protects our Earth at eight to nine hundred kilometers per second (!). This creates differences in voltage high in the atmosphere, which can then transfer to the Earth's surface. And where does the electricity go? To well-conducting networks, such as our electricity supply and rail connections. Fortunately, such extreme events happen only a few times per century.”
Bert van den Oord, coordinating adviser space weather at KNMI
Can we solve the problems caused by space weather?
We cannot stop the sun from sending light and heat into space. Fortunately, because solar radiation makes all life on Earth possible and summer days at the beach more fun. What we can do is monitor solar activity closely. With satellites, we measure X-ray and UV radiation from the sun 24/7. This has to be done in space because this radiation does not pass through the Earth's atmosphere. Ground-based stations can, however, observe solar flares, particle storms, and the effects of CMEs on Earth's magnetic field.
So, in addition to the familiar weather warnings, KNMI has been issuing the lesser-known ‘space weather alert’ since January 2023 to the crisis centres of the Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management and Economic Affairs, and sometimes directly to critical sectors. KNMI is also part of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which warns global civil aviation of disruptive space weather.
“The better our understanding of space weather, the faster we can warn of possible disruptions,” says Van den Oord. “Then pilots know that their navigation instruments may be less reliable. Network operators and satellite operators can activate backup systems or even temporarily shut down all their systems to prevent damage.”
Is space weather the only threat coming from space?
As if a solar eruption that can affect our power grid isn’t enough. But indeed, solar weather is just one of the threats from space. Others include asteroids and comets that could hit Earth from space. Around 65 million years ago, a piece of space debris determined the fate of the dinosaurs, causing their extinction. Even today, small and large objects from space land on Earth. In 2013 and 2024, large pieces of space debris were captured on camera hitting Russia. To get a clear picture of what’s happening above us, we monitor space. The result of this is called space situational awareness (SSA).
What is the Netherlands doing to protect people from threats from space?
In our daily lives on Earth, we are becoming more and more dependent on technology, such as navigation, communication, and Earth observation – all services provided by satellites in space. That is why it is so important to invest in monitoring space weather and, more broadly, in space situational awareness, says Joanna Ruiter, senior advisor at NSO.
Within the Netherlands, Astron, S&T, and the Ministry of Defence are developing new technology that can detect radio radiation bursts in real time. In the coming years, ESA Space Safety will work on VIGIL, the first European satellite specifically built to improve space weather forecasting. The satellite is a big step toward European autonomy on this subject.
The European Commission is also investing in space situational awareness, with better satellite observations and warning services, to which KNMI contributes. The Commission’s top priority is satellite operators, for whom the consequences of space weather are most disruptive.
On a global level, the Netherlands participates in the COPUOS committee of the United Nations. UN member states are trying, through this committee, to promote laws and regulations that make both space and Earth safer. Important questions raised by NSO include: What tools do we need to monitor space weather? And how can the Dutch space industry contribute to the development of measuring instruments through research and technological innovation?
“We don’t think about it every day, but a lot is happening in the field of space weather and space situational awareness,” says Ruiter. “These are incredibly important topics for our daily lives and our safety on Earth.”
Further reading:
KNMI and Space Weather