"SolarMetrics... bringing space weather down to Earth!"


Excitement builds for space weather project

QinetiQ teams up with SolarMetrics to investigate the impact of Cosmic Radiation

With the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer Record attempt fast approaching, Virgin Atlantic’s partner to run the scientific experimentation for the challenge, SolarMetrics Ltd, announces that QinetiQ is providing its support to explore ‘Space Weather’. The SolarMetrics project is being seen as a unique opportunity to record Cosmic Radiation levels at high altitude whilst allowing the investigation of ‘Space Weather’ in real-time. The Global Flyer challenge, expected to launch on or shortly after the 25th February, will enable SolarMetrics to make some valuable and unique measurements.

Virgin Atlantic chose SolarMetrics as its official partner because it is the only company in the world with the capability to provide real-time information on Cosmic Radiation to airlines. This enables airlines to deal more effectively with the impact of Cosmic Radiation exposure on aircraft (something they are now required to do by law in the EU), air travellers and air traffic systems. Traditional methods used by individual airlines are costly and time consuming, but SolarMetrics’ unique technology means that monitoring can be outsourced to an automated service that provides unprecedented accuracy.

Cosmic Radiation is probably one of the lesser known sources of radiation to the general public. Of the average annual background radiation received by any person, about 10% comes from Cosmic Radiation. On Earth the effects of low-level radiation are minimised by the planet’s magnetic field, deflecting cosmic ray particles, and by Earth’s atmosphere absorbing most of what is left. However, the protection becomes weaker at high altitudes. Flying at over 45,000 feet for such a long period of time, no pilot before has ever been subjected to such levels of Cosmic Radiation in one flight.

Cosmic Radiation is also one small part of the bigger picture known as Space Weather. This is the term used to discuss how our Sun and its extremely dynamic activity can influence the space environment around the Earth and affect the technologies we rely on in space and on the ground. The necessity for monitoring Space Weather and radiation levels has been illustrated by a recent solar event that occurred at 0700 GMT on 20 January 2005. This was the most energetic particle event since October 1989 and significantly raised radiation levels, particularly near the poles and at high altitudes. As GlobalFlyer will be at altitudes above normal aircraft routes, Solarmetrics and QinetiQ will be keeping a careful eye on the Sun and their monitors. Only by monitoring all the solar and space activity in real-time can the complete picture be understood and an assessment made of the actual radiation levels.

SolarMetrics’ Bryn Jones said: “The majority of Steve Fossett’s route is at low equatorial latitudes, where the Earth’s magnetic field offers the highest protection from cosmic radiation and any solar activity; therefore, any increases in the radiation are only likely to be a small additional risk. And while radiation exposure and variations caused by solar activity must be monitored for daily airline operations, its importance is minor when considered against the challenge and risks of completing this record-breaking round the world flight.”

Providing further support to the project, QinetiQ will be fitting two radiation monitors aboard the accompanying ‘chase’ aircraft. These will measure the radiation levels experienced by crew members, including Sir Richard Branson, while they follow Steve Fossett and the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer on its world record attempt. The instruments are the Cosmic Radiation Environment and Activation Monitor (CREAM) that has been tried and tested on a variety of aircraft and spaceflights, and a new compact version called QDOS, being flown for the first time. SolarMetrics will now include these instruments with its suite of other hi-tech Cosmic Radiation monitors that are being prepared for flight onboard the chase aircraft and the Global Flyer aircraft itself.

Because SolarMetrics is not able to download the instrument data in real-time, it will instead be calculating the dose during the flight using its real-time S.M.A.R.T. Cosmic Radiation model that will be updated constantly as if flying a 'virtual instrument'. Simultaneously, these calculations will be supported by QinetiQ using Atmospheric Radiation Model (QARM) software. Both calculations provide a complete model of the atmospheric radiation environment and their response to changing solar and geomagnetic conditions. By running calculations in parallel, it will allow QinetiQ to assess the performance of QARM and also compare it against data collected by the airborne instruments.

Observers can follow the progress in real-time together with the latest space weather conditions at SolarMetrics’ 'Mission Control Centre', viewable at http://www.solarmetrics.com