Service to Aviation

Welcome to the Service to aviation service

Overview

A range of space weather phenomena can affect both aircrew and aviation technical infrastructures. The health of aircrews can be affected due to elevated radiation exposure mainly caused by Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and by occasional solar eruptions of energetic charged particles (Solar Energetic Particles - SEP). Technical infrastructure can suffer from degradation or loss of communication and navigation signals, as well as avionics errors. Such disruptions can be caused by both electromagnetic and charged particle radiation, as well as changes in the ionospheric conditions.

The "Service to aviation" aims at provision of access to global information, data, models and tools addressing these issues to help pilots and airline dispatchers in flight planning, especially for flights affected by space weather effects.

This service is implemented through a combination of products, tools and alerts which can be found in the sections below along with expert support provided by the teams constituting the ESA Space Weather Service Network. Should you require further guidance in the use of this service, or have specific questions about any aspects of the service presented here, don’t hesitate to contact the Helpdesk.

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Highlights

Announcements

💡Update: New Service Page design for release 3.7! Let us know what you think about our services in our Survey.

Products and Alerts

Products

Solar Activity: Data Archives
Solar X-ray Flux
Solar Activity: (Near-) Real-time Measurements
Solar X-ray Flux
Solar Activity: Models and Reconstruction
Solar X-ray Flux

No product available in this category yet

Solar Activity: Nowcasts
Solar X-ray Flux
Solar Activity: Forecasts
Solar X-ray Flux

No product available in this category yet

Interplanetary Medium at L1: Data Archives
High Energy >10 MeV Protons
1-10 MeV Protons
Interplanetary Medium at L1: (Near-) Real-time Measurements
High Energy >10 MeV Protons
1-10 MeV Protons
Interplanetary Medium at L1: Models and Reconstruction
High Energy >10 MeV Protons
1-10 MeV Protons
Thermospheric and Atmospheric Conditions: Data Archives
Atmospheric neutrons
Thermospheric and Atmospheric Conditions: (Near-) Real-time Measurements
Atmospheric neutrons
Thermospheric and Atmospheric Conditions: Models and Reconstruction
Atmospheric neutrons

No product available in this category yet

Thermospheric and Atmospheric Conditions: Nowcasts
Vertical Total Electron Content Map
3D Electron Density Grids
URSI Ionospheric Parameters
Riometer Data

No product available in this category yet

Scintillation Indices and Parameters
Thermospheric and Atmospheric Conditions: Forecasts
Vertical Total Electron Content Map
3D Electron Density Grids

No product available in this category yet

URSI Ionospheric Parameters
Riometer Data

No product available in this category yet

Scintillation Indices and Parameters
  • S4 and Err(S4) 6-hour forecast modelled maps
  • SigmaPhi and Err(SigmaPhi) 6-hour forecast modelled maps
  • S4 and Err(S4) 6h forecast modelled values at a given location
  • SigmaPhi and Err(SigmaPhi) 6h forecast modelled values at a given location
Aircraft Effects and Radiation Exposure: Data Archives
Dose at Aircraft Altitudes

No product available in this category yet

Aircraft Effects and Radiation Exposure: Models and Reconstruction
Dose at Aircraft Altitudes
Aircraft Effects and Radiation Exposure: Nowcasts
Dose at Aircraft Altitudes
Aircraft Effects and Radiation Exposure: Forecasts
Dose at Aircraft Altitudes

No product available in this category yet

Alerts

Ground Level Enhancement Detection

Tools

User Manual

The radiation environment at aviation altitudes is shaped mainly by Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) that comes from outside of our solar system, is modulated by solar wind, and interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere and atmosphere. As an effect, radiation exposure at aviation altitudes is slightly higher than that at ground level. Additionally, some solar events may lead to additional enhancements of radiation exposure not only in atmosphere but also even on the ground – so-called Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). The elevated radiation at flight altitudes during a GLE, although temporal, can be notable especially for high latitude flights.

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Interruptions

❗Due to current unavailability of the SDO input data the performance of some products is affected.

AVIDOS Current cosmic radiation map

Full product
Provided by: Seibersdorf Laboratories

σφ maps (Northern Europe)

Full product
Provided by: Norwegian Mapping Authority

Ionospheric activity index at ionosonde locations

Full product
Provided by: Ionospheric Group of the National Observatory of Athens