ESA Space Weather Portal FAQ

About ESA Space Weather Services

1. What is space weather?

   'Space weather' refers to physical conditions at the Sun, in the solar wind and in Near-Earth space that can influence the operation of spaceborne and ground systems and affect human health. You can find out more in our What is Space Weather? page.

2. How is ESA addressing space weather?

   ESA's Space Safety Programme aims at mitigating and preventing the impact of hazards from space, protecting our planet, activities and infrastructures. For more about Space Safety and Security at ESA see ESA Safety and Security.

   As part of the Programme, the Space Weather Office is responsible for the development of a space weather system with the objective to achieve better protection for Europe against the adverse impacts of solar activity.

   The key elements of this space weather system are ground based and spaceborne measurement systems, data systems and the ESA Space Weather Service Network. This network is being developed to provide timely and reliable space weather information to users by utilising and building on the wealth of high-quality expertise and assets we have available in Europe.

   You can find out more at our Space Weather and Space Safety page.

3. What is the ESA Space Weather Service Network?

   The ESA SWE Service Network is implemented through a network of 5 Expert Service Centres (ESCs) and ESA's SSA Space Weather Coordination Centre (SSCC).

   The ESCs each focus on a specific domain within the space weather field e.g. Solar Weather or Ionospheric Conditions. Within each of these 5 areas are a collection of so-called Expert Groups (EGs) which are individual institutions and organisations that host the detailed scientific and technical expertise as well as the technical assets required for processing data and providing space weather services to customers.

   You can find out more at our Space Weather and Space Safety page.

Using the ESA Space Weather Portal

4. What is the ESA Space Weather Portal?

   The ESA Space Weather Portal is an online platform aiming to provide timely and reliable space weather information to end users. It provides access to 29 user-tailored services that provide individual products, reports and toolkits tailored to the needs of 12 individual user communities.

   These online services are complemented by the SSCC Helpdesk which is available to respond to queries and requests for support from registered users.

   Find further information in our 'ESA SWE Network & You' leaflet.

5. Who can use the ESA Space Weather services?

   The Space Safety Programme actively addresses space weather service users in the following domains with targeted developments that aim to address the needs of these groups for accurate and timely space weather information:

   Spacecraft Designers, Spacecraft Operators, Human Spaceflight Mission Operators, GNSS System Users, Communication System Users and Operators, Space Surveillance and Tracking Services, Power System Operators, Pipeline Operators, Airlines and Aerospace Sector including Regulatory Authorities, Resource Exploitation and the Auroral Tourism Sector.

   Overall, the ESA Space Weather Services are a valuable resource for anyone who needs to understand, monitor, or mitigate the effects of space weather on their activities.

   Learn more about the space weather domains and associated services.

6. How do I find space weather data and information relevant to my domain?

   From the left-hand menu click on 'SPACE WEATHER SERVICES' to expand the options and see available user domains. From here select your area of interest and either:

   i) Click on the user domain heading to navigate to the domain dashboard page which features a selection of data and information in a tile format providing a quick-look overview of conditions.

   ii) Further expand the left-hand menu to see the associated service pages and click on the one of interest. On the service page you will find an overview, highlighted key products as well as the full list of tailored products and alerts you can access. There’s also a service user manual at the bottom of page to help you best utilise the page.

7. Why can’t I see the space weather data on the webpage?

   If a webpage is temporarily unavailable due to e.g. the data provider undergoing necessary maintenance, a 'product unavailable' graphic will appear instead of the normal webpage content. Once the unavalability has been resolved the content should reappear as usual.

   If you are not registered or logged into the ESA SWE Portal and you try to navigate to the individual service or product pages you will be redirected to a 'Login Required' page. It is necessary to either sign in or register (for free) in order to access the full content.

   In the case a blank page is encountered once navigating to a specific page then we first advise clearing browser cache and cookies and reloading the page. If you still can’t see the space weather data on then please contact SSCC Helpdesk for more information.

8. Is it possible to receive alerts or notifications for space weather data?

   Some products on the ESA Space Weather Portal do provide alerts/notifications in the form of emails when a selected event has occurred. They can be subscribed via accessing the specific products individually.

   We recommend first checking the individual service pages within your user domain under the 'Products and Alerts' section. Here any products providing an alert capability will be listed although we note that not all of these will offer an email/SMS notification but rather provide a notification within the webpage itself.

9. Where can I find additional user guidance?

   There are several places on the ESA Space Weather Portal where you can find help on various topics:

   1. A 'Help' page is included in all individual product pages which provides guidance on how to use the product as well further information about the data being provided.
   2. A 'User Manual' is included on every service page providing information on how to make the most of the collection of products and tools.
   3. You can visit the Manuals and Tutorials page where you will find:
      • A Product Catalogue: This provides an overview of all available space weather data and tools.
      • Tutorials: These step-by-step video tutorials offer guidance on several topics.
      • User Manuals: Detailed guides for a number of specific use-cases.
10. Where can I find the definitions of ESA Space Weather Service Network terminology?

    We try to maintain a consistent terminology throughout the ESA Space Weather Service Network. In our Network Glossary you'll find the precise meaning of the words used on this website.

11. How often does the ESA Space Weather Portal update?

    The ESA Space Weather Portal updates every 3-4 months bringing new/modified products and information.

12. Where can I find the information on the latest changes and updates?

    The ESA Space Weather Portal provides a list of changes implemented during the consecutive portal releases which can be accessed in the form of ESA Space Weather Portal Release Notes.

    Furthermore, a detailed archive of release notes has been made is available for the users to better understand the evolution of the ESA Space Weather Portal and its product provision.

My Account

13. Is the portal free to use?

    Yes! The ESA Space Weather Services are completely free to use but we do ask that you create an account for full access to the services and space weather data.

14. Why do I need to register to access the ESA Space Weather Services?

    Registration for the ESA SWE Portal has several benefits with the primary advantage being to help us provide a better service to our users. A dedicated login allows you to configure and save your service preferences, subscribing only to those relevant for you e.g. Aviation or Spacecraft Operations. This ensures you will receive tailored updates including portal releases, training opportunities or other events that match your interests.

    In addition, the limited information we ask for at registration provides us with essential insights into our user base which helps us understand how the website is being used. This information, combined with your feedback collected from user surveys and dedicated campaigns, guides our strategy for ongoing/future improvements, ensuring that the ESA SWE Services continue to develop in line with user needs.

    Finally, the SWE portal terms and conditions contain important information about the use of the portal and content provided within. We include these terms as part of the registration process to ensure that all our users have read and agreed with them.

15. How do I create an account?

    You can create an account via the registration page.

16. My registration hasn’t worked, why?

    In case you have a problem registering for the ESA Space Weather Portal, please make sure that your name and username fulfil the requirements and that you have agreed to the terms and conditions.

    After this first step you will be directed to a page to give your 'Affiliation type' and 'service preferences', only after completing this form and clicking sign up will your registration confirmation email be sent.

    To confirm and finalise your registration you should receive an email with the subject 'Confirm registration with OpenAM' where you need to click the link provided to validate your email address and set your password. If you do not receive this email, we also suggest you check your SPAM filter.

    Important: Please note that you need to validate your ESA Space Weather Portal account registration link within 30 minutes of the registration.

    If you still have problems registering for the Portal after following the above steps, then please contact SSCC Helpdesk.

17. What do I do if I forget my username or password?

    If you have forgotten your password, you may reset it by following this link.

    If you have forgotten your username, follow the 'forgot password' link as given above, and you will receive an email with your username associated to that email and a link to change the password (if necessary).

18. How can I change my account details?

    You can change your credentials (first name, last name, email address, etc.) by logging in to the ESA Space Weather Portal accessing this link where you will need to first sign in. You can also always contact the SSCC Helpdesk asking for the update of your credentials and we will make the update for you.

    Please note that if you have subscribed to individual product updates or alerts after registration you would need to contact the individual alert provider to update your email used for these messages.

19. How can I unsubscribe to emails?

    In the email you received from helpdesk.swe@esa.int, you can click on 'Unsubscribe to email updates' or contact the SSCC Helpdesk asking to unsubscribe.

    For more information on how your data is used please refer to our Data Privacy Policy in our terms of use.

20. How do I delete my account?

    Contact the SSCC Helpdesk with a request that your account be deleted.

Accessing space weather data

21. Can I access space weather data via an API?

    Some of our products do currently provide an option to access their data via an API. In this case the API access information will be provided on the product webpage within the 'help' section.

    In addition, there are additional datasets available within the SWE Data Browser that are accessible via an API named HAPI. More explanations can be found in the document Accessing SOSMAG and NGRM Data via the Programmatic Interface (HAPI) which is available in our manuals and tutorials section.

22. How can I pass my login credentials to enable automatic (API) retrieval of the data?

    To computationally access the data available via API on the ESA Space Weather Portal we provide detailed information on how user scripts need to work with the user accounts to allow access via the login method. More detail information can be found here.

    If you experience any technical issues during API access, please contact the SSCC helpdesk team at helpdesk.swe@esa.int, detailing where possible any errors observed.

23. Can I download space weather data for research purposes?

    Yes, you can freely download the data made available on ESA Space Weather Portal and if you need to cite the data, please make sure to cite the corresponding product provider along with ESA.

    Details of the acknowledgements for each product are outlined on the individual product webpages. For more information, please read our Terms and conditions in our Terms of use page.

Engage with us

24. Where can I find information about any upcoming events?

    Details of specific ESA Space Weather Service Network events (e.g. webinars) and select external events (e.g. topical conferences) are displayed on the Upcoming Events page.

25. What are the ways I as a user can get involved with the ESA Space Weather Service Network?

    There are several ways that you can contribute to the ESA Space Weather Service Network as a user, including product and service testing campaigns, domain specific user meetings, and others.

    More information is provided on our user opportunities page.

26. Is it possible to become part of the ESA Space Weather Service Network by contributing my data?

    If you are interested in learning more about the ESA Space Weather Service Network, please send an email to SSCC Helpdesk conveying your proposal/interest.

27. How can I provide my feedback?

    You can provide us your feedback by filling in the online questionnaire or by sending an email to the SSCC Helpdesk.