Speaker
Description
Extreme space weather poses a critical risk to infrastructure worldwide. The Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT; Akhavan-Tafti et al., 2023) space mission concept aims to deliver space weather warnings that are up to 40% (20 minutes) earlier and 2.5 times more accurate than existing assets. SWIFT utilizes a flight-ready solar sail to fly a constellation of satellites at a unique vantage point inside L1, enabling, for the first time, continuous monitoring of the three-dimensional structure and evolution of Earth-bound solar storms. This enhanced capability is critical for industries that are most impacted by the adverse effects of extreme space weather. An additional 20 minutes of high-confidence warning enables electric grid operators to shift from reactive emergency measures to proactive and strategic actions in order to preserve grid stability and prevent widespread blackouts. For Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)-dependent industries, this resilience directly mitigates financial losses. In precision agriculture, earlier warnings allow farmers to proactively adjust logistics, while awaiting an "all-clear" signal to minimize costly downtime. This risk reduction, in turn, reduces agricultural insurers and governments’ exposure to multi-million-dollar crop loss claims.
