ESC Space Radiation

Space Radiation Expert Service Centre (R-ESC)

Mission Statement

The mission of the Space Radiation ESC (R-ESC) is to provide and develop the functionalities, capabilities and expertise in the domain of Space Radiation that are needed within the ESA SWE network to achieve as a collaborative enterprise its mission of demonstrating and assessing the influences of Space Weather and informing and supporting end users through the provision of accurate, reliable and timely products and (pre-) operational services, tailored to their requirements. The Space Radiation ESC ensures that the monitoring, modelling and forecasting of space particle radiation (ambient plasma, solar energetic particles, radiation belts, galactic cosmic rays), micron-size particulates (from meteoroids and space debris), as well as all types of phenomena induced effects on technologies and biological systems, are fully covered in regard to the near-Earth space environment.


SOHO images altered by solar energetic particles (© SOHO - ESA & NASA)

Space radiation refers to high-energy ionized particles of different origin present in space and affecting spacecraft, components and biological systems. It covers mainly the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) background, solar energetic particle (SEP) events and the Earth's trapped radiation belts. Micron-size particulates are also considered as part of the R-ESC domain.

GCRs originate from outside the Solar System and are composed of high-energy protons, alpha particles and heavier nuclei. Their flux is constant and modulated by solar activity. GCRs are a threat to astronauts and spacecraft electronics on interplanetary missions. Life on Earth is protected from GCRs by the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. However, GCRs could be a health concern for aircraft crew flying regularly at high altitudes and latitudes.

SEPs consist primarily of protons and electrons accelerated by solar flares or interplanetary shock waves associated with Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Their intensity and occurrence are difficult to predict. SEPs cause similar damage as GCRs. They are also a threat for astronauts during an extravehicular activity (EVA) and a source of solar panel degradation.

Trapped radiation belts surround planets with a substantial magnetic field, such as Earth or Jupiter. The radiation belts are composed mostly of protons and electrons. The dose deposition and non-ionizing energy loss caused by the radiation belt population interacting with spacecraft materials generate degradation in solar panels and other spacecraft components. The radiation belt populations may also cause spacecraft charging effects.

Micron-sized particle impacts over a period of time will degrade optical surfaces on spacecraft.

Current products provided by the R-ESC and available in SWE services:

BIRA-IASB Space Weather Services (BIRA-IASB)
  • R.134 The COMESEP Alert System
  • R.135 Solar Energetic Particle Environment Modelling (SEPEM)
  • R.103 Space Environment Information System (SPENVIS)
  • R.136 SWIFF Plasmasphere (SPM) electron density and temperature distribution model
British Antarctic Survey (UKRI/BAS)
  • R.142 SaRIF Risk Indicator Panel
  • R.143 SaRIF GOES-16 Internal Charging Current
  • R.144 SaRIF GOES-16 Total Ionising Dose and Dose Rate
  • R.145 SaRIF GOES-16 Radiation Environment
  • R.146 SaRIF GOES-14 Internal Charging Current
  • R.147 SaRIF GOES-14 Total Ionising Dose and Dose Rate
  • R.148 SaRIF GOES-14 Radiation Environment
  • R.149 SaRIF GIOVE-A Internal Charging Current
  • R.150 SaRIF GIOVE-A Total Ionising Dose and Dose Rate
  • R.151 SaRIF GIOVE-A Radiation Environment
  • R.152 SaRIF Slot Region Internal Charging Current
  • R.153 SaRIF Slot Region Total Ionising Dose and Dose Rate
  • R.154 SaRIF Slot Region Radiation Environment
  • R.155 MOSWOC high energy electron forecast for geostationary orbit
  • R.156 MOSWOC Forecaster Summary
  • R.157 SaRIF Best Reconstruction of the Radiation Environment
Center for Space Radiations (UCL/CSR)
  • R.109 PROBA-V/EPT Electron flux spectra time series
  • R.110 PROBA-V/EPT Proton flux spectra time series
  • R.111 PROBA-V/EPT Helium flux spectra time series
  • R.112 PROBA-V/EPT Electron flux geographical maps
  • R.113 PROBA-V/EPT Proton flux geographical maps
  • R.114 PROBA-V/EPT Helium flux geographical maps
  • R.115 PROBA-V/EPT Auroral electron energy spectrum characterisation
  • R.116 PROBA-V/EPT SAA proton energy spectrum characterisation
  • R.117 PROBA-V/EPT SAA helium energy spectrum characterisation
  • R.139 Static radiation model of energetic electrons at LEO
  • R.140 Static radiation model of energetic protons at LEO
  • R.141 Static radiation model of energetic helium ions at LEO
  • R.160 PROBA-V/EPT High-latitude/polar electron flux survey
  • R.161 PROBA-V/EPT High-latitude/polar proton flux survey
  • R.162 PROBA-V/EPT High-latitude/polar helium flux survey
  • R.167 PROBA-V/EPT Total ionizing dose estimation at LEO
  • R.168 PROBA-V/EPT Total non-ionizing dose estimation at LEO
Department Radiation Biology (DLR-IAM)
  • R.127 SEP Post-event analysis for aviation radiation exposure (RADSEP)
  • R.123 Radiation environment outside the ISS (RADSpace)
  • R.124 Radiation environment inside the ISS (RADSpace)
  • R.125 Accumulated dose in human phantoms onboard the ISS (RADSpace)
  • R.126 Catalogue of accumulated dose in human phantoms during SW events (RADSpace) [Coming soon]
Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications & Remote Sensing (NOA/IAASARS)
  • R.158 HESPERIA RELeASE
  • R.159 HESPERIA UMASEP-500
  • R.163 HESPERIA RELeASE Alert
Mullard Space Science Laboratory (UCL/MSSL)
  • R.131 Electron population model at GEO
  • R.132 Electron population model at MEO
  • R.133 Electron population model at LEO
NKUA Cosmic Ray Group (NKUA/ANeMoS)
  • R.102 GLE Alert++ service
  • R.108 Multi-station neutron monitor data
  • R.137 DYnamic Atmospheric Shower Tracking Interactive Model Application (DYASTIMA)
Paul Buehler (PB)
  • R.118 Time series of PROBA-1/SREM radiation rates
  • R.119 Time series of Integral/SREM radiation rates
  • R.120 Time series of Rosetta/SREM radiation rates
  • R.121 Time series of Herschel/SREM radiation rates
  • R.122 Time series of Planck/SREM radiation rates
Seibersdorf Laboratories (SL)
  • R.101 AVIDOS Radiation exposure estimation at aircraft altitude
Space Applications & Research Consultancy (SPARC)
  • R.170 EDRS-C/NGRM L2 Electron differential fluxes
  • R.171 EDRS-C/NGRM L2 Proton differential fluxes
  • R.172 GEO electron integral flux alerts
  • R.173 GEO proton flux alerts
  • R.174 EDRS-C/NGRM Electron daily fluences
  • R.175 GEO Multiple electron flux measurements
Space Research Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku (UTU/SRL)
  • R.128 Very high-energy Solar Energetic Particle environment mission specification: proton fluence
  • R.129 Very high-energy Solar Energetic Particle environment mission specification: proton peak flux
  • R.130 Solar Energetic Particle event catalogue: high-energy solar proton events
  • R.138 High-energy Solar Energetic Particle environment mission specification: heavy ion fluence
  • R.165 High-energy Solar Energetic Particle environment mission specification: heavy ion peak flux
  • R.166 Very high-energy solar proton event database
SWE Data Centre (ESOC/SWE Portal)
  • R.107 European Debris Impact Database (EDID)
  • R.104 Space Environment Data System (SEDAT) [Currently unavailable]
UK Met Office (UKMO)
  • R.142 SaRIF Risk Indicator Panel
  • R.143 SaRIF GOES-16 Internal Charging Current
  • R.144 SaRIF GOES-16 Total Ionising Dose and Dose Rate
  • R.145 SaRIF GOES-16 Radiation Environment
  • R.146 SaRIF GOES-14 Internal Charging Current
  • R.147 SaRIF GOES-14 Total Ionising Dose and Dose Rate
  • R.148 SaRIF GOES-14 Radiation Environment
  • R.149 SaRIF GIOVE-A Internal Charging Current
  • R.150 SaRIF GIOVE-A Total Ionising Dose and Dose Rate
  • R.151 SaRIF GIOVE-A Radiation Environment
  • R.152 SaRIF Slot Region Internal Charging Current
  • R.153 SaRIF Slot Region Total Ionising Dose and Dose Rate
  • R.154 SaRIF Slot Region Radiation Environment
  • R.155 MOSWOC high energy electron forecast for geostationary orbit
  • R.156 MOSWOC Forecaster Summary
  • R.157 SaRIF Best Reconstruction of the Radiation Environment

The R-ESC concept is to demonstrate state of the art products proposed for future integration in the ESA space weather services and assess their capabilities and functionally and user satisfaction. Therefore, R-ESC demonstrates products, which are currently in a prototype level. Each demonstration product is presented by the corresponding contributor on federated websites.

BIRA-IASB Space Weather Services (BIRA-IASB)
  • R.178 Internal charging environment and analysis report
  • R.179 Internal charging environment nowcast
  • R.180 Internal charging environment forecast
Eötvös University (ELTE)
  • R.221 Plasma density measurements (PLASMA)
  • R.222 Plasmapause Location Limits measurements (PLASMA)
  • R.223 Empirical Plasmapause Maps/plasmapause limits (PLASMA)
  • R.224 Plasmasphere Index (PLASMA)
  • R.225 Midnight Plasmapause Proxy (PLASMA)
  • R.226 2-D Electron Density Maps (PLASMA)
Space Radiative Environment Research Group (ONERA/ERS)
  • R.211 RB-FAN Radiation Belts Orbits dedicated Risk Alert
  • R.212 RB-FAN Radiation Belts Deep Charging Risk Alert
  • R.213 RB-FAN Radiation Belts Solar Cells Risk Alert
  • R.214 RB-FAN Radiation Belts Satellite Internal Electric Potential
  • R.215 RB-FAN Radiation Belts Solar Cell Degradation R index
  • R.216 RB-FAN Omnidirectional Differential Electron Flux
  • R.217 RB-FAN Omnidirectional Differential Proton Flux
  • R.218 RB-FAN Radiation Belts Quicklook Visualisations
  • R.219 RB-FAN Radiation Belts Modular Bulletin
  • R.176 RB-IND Radiation belt activity index for solar array degradation
  • R.177 RB-IND Radiation belt activity indices for surface and internal charging
SWE Data Centre (ESOC/SWE Portal)
  • R.201 Space Radiation Application for Spacecraft Operators (SRASO)

ESC Coordinator

Norma Crosby (BIRA-IASB)

Expert Groups

BIRA-IASB Space Weather Services
Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)
Belgium
British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
United Kingdom
Center for Space Radiations (CSR)
Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)
Belgium
Department Radiation Biology (DLR-IAM)
DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine (DLR-IAM)
Germany
Eötvös University (ELTE)
Hungary
Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications & Remote Sensing (IAASARS)
National Observatory of Athens (NOA)
Greece
Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL)
University College London (UCL)
United Kingdom
NKUA Cosmic Ray Group (ANeMoS)
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)
Greece
Paul Buehler (PB)
Austria
Seibersdorf Laboratories (SL)
Austria
Space Applications & Research Consultancy (SPARC)
Greece
Space Radiative Environment Research Group (ERS)
Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales (ONERA)
France
Space Research Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku (SRL)
University of Turku (UTU)
Finland
UK Met Office (UKMO)
United Kingdom

Expert Consultants

Aboa Space Research Oy (ASRO)
Finland
DH Consultancy BVBA (DHC)
Belgium
Extraterrestrial Physics Division Group (CAU)
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU)
Germany
Oulu group (OULU)
University of Oulu (UOULU)
Finland
Space Research Department (EK-UKL)
Centre for Energy Research (EK)
Hungary
Space Weather Group (UMA)
Universidad de Malaga (UMA)
Spain