Space weather can affect many different kinds of activities in a variety of ways. Examples in this lesson addressed: radio communication, electric power, satellites, and GNSS/GPS navigation.

For any type of space weather, customers need to know when a storm is likely to occur and when a storm is in progress. They need to know how intense it could be and how long it could last.

Radio communication customers: Solar Flare and Solar Energetic Particle forecasts enable customers to know in advance when these space weather disturbances are likely. When an event is in progress, the D-Region Absorption Product (D-RAP) is available to identify where signal disruption is occurring and to assist in identifying useable frequencies.

Electric power grid customers: Geomagnetic Storm warnings allow power grid managers to prepare mitigating actions that will protect the availability of electric power.

Satellite customers: Real-time measurements and forecasts of the satellite environment allow satellite operators to schedule activities at times when the radiation levels are not hazardous.

GNSS/GPS customers: Real-time maps of ionospheric conditions allow precision-navigation users to understand when a problem with their navigation is due to space weather, rather than possibly an equipment error. Forecasts allow customers to adjust their schedule of activities to avoid times when precision navigation may be compromised.

The examples in this lesson are representative of the interactions a space weather forecaster has regularly with their customers.