Surrey Space Centre teams up with Met Office to launch space weather monitors
The University of Surrey’s Space Centre has teamed up with the Met Office to launch the first batch of a novel type of radiation monitor into the atmosphere as part of an innovative project to enhance space weather models and deepen scientific understanding of the impact of space weather.
The new sensor was placed on a weather balloon to collect data as part of the flight
Launches of radiation monitors took place concurrently on 17 October at Met Office sites in Lerwick and Camborne, where Dr Benjamin Clewer, Research Fellow in Space Weather Model and System Developer at the Surrey Space Centre, was present, as well as at De Bilt in the Netherlands, operated by Dutch forecasters KNMI.
The monitors, developed by the University of Surrey, were attached to weather observation balloons and released from ground level to go up more than 100,000 feet, capturing live observations of radiation levels as they travelled through the Earth’s atmosphere and towards the stratosphere.
This initial launch was a proof-of-concept, monitoring background radiation levels through the atmosphere and comparing with existing ground-based monitoring equipment which was installed earlier this year at Camborne.
Future launches will take place during space weather events to further enhance radiation models and improve understanding of how space weather influences radiation levels from high in the atmosphere to ground level.
Met Office Senior Space Weather Manager Krista Hammond was present at the first launch in Camborne and explained how the project will aid Met Office operations.
Space weather monitoring is in its infancy compared to meteorology, so this project will provide a huge leap forward in terms of our understanding of how space weather events impact radiation levels through the Earth’s atmosphere. Data from these launches will be used to validate and improve existing radiation models that we use, which is important for a range of industries that can be influenced by space weather, including aviation, energy and other ground-based infrastructure.Krista Hammond, Met Office Senior Space Weather Manager
Similar radiation monitors, also developed by the University of Surrey as part of the Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk (SWIMMR) programme, are already in use on some commercial airlines, providing data at cruising height.
The data will be used to further enhance the MAIRE+ model for modelling radiation levels, which has been developed by the University of Surrey and is currently undergoing testing, validation and refinement at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre.
Cross-border space weather impacts
The potential impacts of space weather crosses borders, which is why this project is including radiation monitor launches not only from Met Office sites in Camborne and Lerwick, but also in the Netherlands, thanks to Netherlands-based forecasters KNMI.
A wider range of data points will allow more detailed analysis of radiation levels during space weather events. For example, a higher latitude site like Lerwick should expect different impacts to those further south, like at Camborne and in De Bilt.
This coordinated balloon launch with the Met Office is a great example of how international collaboration can enhance our shared research and development, ultimately improving services - such as providing the aviation sector with warnings about the adverse effects of space weather.Maarten van Aalst, Director General for Netherland-based forecasters KNMI
The project is part of the SWIMMR programme, funded by the UK government and managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, which was a long-term project to improve the UK’s space weather forecasting capabilities. SWIMMR, which stands for Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk, has been vital for UK forecasting and preparedness in recent years, funding projects around hazard mitigation, GPS protect and innovative research projects.
It is very pleasing to see these launches happening, especially with the international collaborative element involving our Dutch partners. This work combines two SWIMMR instrument development projects by coordinating balloon-borne radiation sensors with ground-based neutron monitors.Professor Ian McCrea, SWIMMR programme lead at STFC RAL Space
“Learning how to use these instruments together is an important step towards validating SWIMMR’s atmospheric radiation models. The results will contribute to broader monitoring and prediction capabilities for radiation effects on aviation, demonstrating how SWIMMR’s multiple components work together to deliver an integrated space weather capability for the UK.
A recent Value Report suggested that the Met Office’s space weather capability will be worth around £600million to the UK energy industry alone over the next decade, underlining the importance of timely, accurate and authoritative space weather forecasts and information.
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