The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Airbus to design and construct its Vigil satellite, a groundbreaking project aimed at monitoring space weather and protecting Earth from potentially harmful solar storms and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). This announcement marks a significant milestone in space weather forecasting, with the Vigil mission being the first operational endeavor in ESA’s Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Space Safety Programme (S2P).
ESA and @AirbusSpace have signed a contract worth €340 million for the development of ESA's Vigil satellite.#ESAVigil will greatly improve our early warning of severe space weather events that may cause disruptions on and around Earth.https://t.co/zVZzsLNJiM#SpaceCouncil🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/BA07fI0Tmp
— ESA Operations (@esaoperations) May 22, 2024
What is Vigil?
Vigil will be positioned at Lagrange point L5, 150 million kilometers behind Earth in its orbit around the Sun. This strategic location will enable the satellite to monitor the Sun’s rotation, providing early warnings of incoming solar storms and CMEs. These warnings are crucial for preventing disruptions to satellites in orbit and safeguarding electronic and power distribution systems on Earth.
Importance of Space Weather Monitoring
The 1989 geomagnetic storm that caused a nine-hour power outage in Quebec highlights the potential dangers of space weather events. By offering advance warnings, Vigil will enable power companies and authorities to take protective measures, reducing the risk of long-term outages and damage to critical electronic systems.
Key Features and Contributions
Vigil is being developed with international collaboration. Key components include:
- A compact coronagraph from the US Naval Research Laboratory
- A heliographic imager from Leonardo SpA in Italy
- A photo-magnetospheric field imager from Germany’s Max Planck Institute
- A plasma analyser from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in London
- A magnetometer from Imperial College London
- An extreme ultraviolet imager provided by NASA
Government Support and Future Impact
Andrew Griffith MP, the minister for space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, emphasized the mission’s importance:
“The Vigil mission will transform our understanding of the impact of potentially dangerous solar events.”
Supported by the UK Space Agency and other ESA member states, Vigil is set to launch in 2031 and will operate for over 7.5 years, contributing valuable data to enhance global space weather forecasts.
What Does Vigil Mean for Our Future in Space?
The selection of Airbus to build the Vigil satellite by ESA signifies a major step forward in our ability to monitor and respond to space weather. This collaborative effort not only highlights the importance of international cooperation in space exploration but also underscores the critical need to protect our technological infrastructure from solar events. We invite you to share your thoughts and comments on this exciting development and its potential impact on our daily lives.
Photo by Tyler van der Hoeven on Unsplash
