SWIPPA

SPACE WEATHER IMPACT ON PRECISE POSITIONING APPLICATIONS OF GNSS
(superseded by SWACI in 2006)

Service Status

Since 2006, the SWACI service is a full successor of SWIPPA, taking over all its functions.

Developer

ESA, DLR, ALLSAT

Technical Group

Ionospheric Effects & Activity Forecast

SDA objective

• Utililisation of space weather information in operational GPS reference networks for purposes of precise and reliable positioning.
• Development of specific data products related to space weather effects in the ionosphere and offered to the designated users and general public.
• Evaluation of the technological and financial benefits of the proposed space weather service.
• Support the SWENET activities by exchanging relevant information on a regular basis.
  

Products

• Total Electron Content (TEC) value - nowcast and forecast
• Total Electron Content (TEC) spatial and temporal gradients - nowcast
• GPS differential phase fluctuations - nowcast
• Warning messages of hazardous space weather conditions
  

Link to Project WebSite

Interested users are welcome to visit the SWIPPA project website.
Upon registration, each user will obtain access to envisaged SWIPPA services according to the user group status - Consortium, ESA, SWENET, or Public.

SDA description

It is well recognised that space weather induced effects, such as the ionosphere-plasmasphere disturbances, can cause various technological problems in space-based positioning systems. Such problems include: range errors, rapid phase and amplitude fluctuations (radio scintillations) of satellite signals, etc., all leading to pronounced signal degradation, degradation in the system performance, in its accuracy and reliability. Apart from the increased risk of using the affected systems, the signal degradations due to space weather induced ionospheric perturbations and corresponding data losses can also have a purely financial dimension. It is important to mention that not only large companies are affected, but small- and medium-size business enterprises too. With the future advancement of technology, the above-mentioned risks will certainly increase unless suitable space weather services are established.

Being a part of the ongoing ESA's Space Weather Pilot Project, SWIPPA focuses on the concrete use of space weather information in operational GPS reference networks for purposes of precise and reliable positioning. Specific data products, related to space weather effects in the ionosphere, are offered to the designated users and general public. Another major part of project activities is to support the Space Weather European Network (SWENET) activities by exchanging relevant information on a regular basis. Technological and financial benefits of the proposed space weather service will be evaluated and recommendations given. The established service will be also helpful to the future GALILEO users for positioning and navigation applications.

Consortium

German Aerospace Centre - Institute of Communications and Navigation ( DLR-IKN ), Neustrelitz, Germany

Allsat GmbH network+services ( ALLSAT ), Hannover, Germany

Informatique, Electromagnetisme, Electronique, Analyse numerique ( IEEA ), Courbevoie, France

Swiss Reinsurance ( SwissRe ), Zurich, Switzerland

Land Surveying Office of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ( LVMV ), Schwerin, Germany

GeoForschungsZentrum ( GFZ ), Potsdam, Germany

University of Applied Sciences – Neubrandenburg ( FHNB ), Neubrandenburg, Germany

Sensorik & Systemtechnologie GmbH ( SenSys ), Bad Saarow, Germany

Contact / Manager

Dr. Norbert Jakowski