The team of solarophysicists develops a new constellation of Space Weather Investigation Frontier satellites (SWIFT), which will use a solar sail to forecast space weather ahead of 60 minutes. This system is aimed at protecting critical infrastructure - power grids, aviation, telecommunications and satellites - from space weather threats, in particular, interplanetary coronal mass ejections (CME).
Threats of space weather
Space weather covers changes in the space environment between the Sun and Earth. Coronal mass ejections are flows of magnetic fields and particles from the Sun, moving at a speed of 2000 km/s. They cause geomagnetic storms, which create the aurora borealis, but they can also:
- Disrupt satellites, as in the case of loss 39 Starlink satellites in February 2022 year.
- Cause a power outage, as during the Carrington event 1859 year.
- Threaten astronauts on the Moon or Mars with lethal doses of radiation.
Today, space weather threatens assets worth up to 2,7 trillion US dollars, including communication satellites, navigation and intelligence.
Current monitoring systems
Companions, such as DSCOVR (NOAA) and SOHO (ESA/NASA), located at the Lagrangian point L1 (1,45 million km from Earth), provide 15-40 minute warning. They measure the solar wind – the flow of magnetic fields and particles from the Sun – and transmit data to predict geomagnetic storms. However, these satellites are limited by their proximity to Earth and cannot provide earlier warning due to gravitational limitations, which require constant use of fuel to maintain orbit.
SWIFT innovation
The SWIFT constellation will consist of four satellites:
- One with a solar sail, located outside L1, at a distance 2,1 million km from Earth, closer to the Sun.
- Three smaller satellites with chemical thrust in L1 orbit.
A solar sail is a thin reflective surface in size 1653 m² - uses the pressure of the Sun's photons to balance gravity, allowing the orbit to be held without fuel. This makes it possible to place the satellite in an unstable sub-L1 orbit and conduct continuous observations of the solar wind for over 10 years. Four satellites will observe the solar wind from different positions, improving the accuracy of predictions of the evolution of CMEs before their interaction with the Earth.
Testing and perspectives
Solar Cruiser Mission, scheduled for 2029 year, tests solar sail size 1653 m². Previous demonstrations, such as the NanoSail-D2 (NASA, 2010, 10 m²), ICARUS (JAXA, 2010, 196 m²) і LightSail (The Planetary Society, 2015, 32 m²), proved the viability of the technology. IN 2024 2018, the SWIFT team successfully deployed a quarter of the sail on Earth. The main challenge remains deploying the sail in space and using it for precise maneuvering.
If successful, SWIFT will provide up to 60 minutes of CME warning, allowing:
- Satellite operators to adjust orbits to avoid burning due to atmospheric drag.
- Airlines to change routes to protect passengers from radiation.
- Astronauts on the Moon or Mars have to hide from radiation storms.
- Energy companies should prepare for power outages.
Source: https://www.space.com