Final Report - Space Weather Socioeconomic Impact Study on Canadian Infrastructure

Space weather has a variety of impacts on technology, both in space and on the ground. In space, the impacts include health risks to astronauts due to radiation exposure and physical risks to satellites and their electrical components due to energetic electrons and solar flare protons. Space weather has wide-ranging impacts on Earth, due to the effects of geomagnetic storms on the electrical grid and the use of space-based services such as satellite communications and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), and the increase in radiation exposure to passengers and crew on international flights over the polar regions. Electromagnetic radiation from the Sun can interfere with communications, either by direct radio interference or by affecting the electrical properties of the ionosphere. The primary objectives of this study were to: assess and quantify the socioeconomic impact of various space weather scenarios; review current efforts to detect, warn and mitigate space weather events on Canada’s infrastructure; and facilitate an exchange of information on the study findings with key stakeholders (Canadian government, industry and academia) and provide a preliminary assessment of…

Publisher

Canadian Space Agency

Resources

2

Catalogue metadata updated

2024-11-20