The Socioeconomic Impacts of the Upper Atmosphere Effects on LEO Satellites, Communication and Navigation Systems

This review is one of the results of the project "PITHIA Network of Research Facilities (PITHIA-NRF), a research infrastructure," funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program.
❑ SWx is a low probability high-impact event, with costs to society not dissimilar from those caused by major natural disasters.
❑ The science of quantifying their socioeconomic impacts of upper atmosphere phenomena is not yet mature.
❑ The literature tends to focus only on a subset of infrastructures and SWx phenomena affecting them, without fully exploring the total costs associated with SWx.
❑ There is no comprehensive theoretical framework for risk analysis in this field.
❑ The lack of important modeling information and modern society’s lack of experience with extremely large events hinders advances needed by governments, asset owners, and business to mitigate the risks posed by SWx.