Abstract :
This article provides a description of the hostile environment that satellites and spacecraft are exposed to as they travel through the ionosphere and magnetosphere. As this environment changes continually there is a need to be able to predict its future status. Such prediction efforts concentrate on the Sun and solar wind which drives the near Earth environment. Geomagnetic storms are additional disruptive because of their effects on electricity transmission systems. The National Space Weather Program is being formed as a US Federal interagency committee to meet this weather forecasting need
Keywords :
artificial satellites; atmospheric techniques; ionosphere; ionospheric disturbances; magnetosphere; space vehicles; National Space Weather Program; US Federal interagency committee; electricity transmission system; geomagnetic storm; hostile environment; ionosphere; magnetic storm; magnetosphere; prediction; satellite; solar wind; space; spacecraft; stormy weather forecasting; Earth; Geomagnetism; Ionosphere; Magnetosphere; Satellites; Space exploration; Space vehicles; Sun; Weather forecasting; Wind forecasting;
