UK Statement at Scientific and Technical Sub-committee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) for Item 11: Space weather
Delivered by Andrew Ratcliffe, Chief Engineer, UK Space Agency, 15 February 2022
Thank you for giving me the floor chair,
The UK welcomes the draft final report of the Expert Group on Space Weather, contained in document L.401, and supports the six recommendations put forward for improved international coordination for space-weather services. The UK expresses its sincere thanks to the Expert Group for the hard work undertaken in producing this consensus report, in particular to the Rapporteur of the Group, Professor Ian Mann of Canada.
Chair,
The UK recognised severe space weather as a societal risk over a decade ago on the National Risk Register, and has since made significant progress in assessing and mitigating that risk. In 2014, the UK established a national space-weather forecast centre: the ‘Meteorological Office Space Weather Operations Centre’; and, in 2019, commenced a £20M programme of research: “Space Weather Instrumentation, Measurement, Modelling and Risk”, to generate new data sources and forecast models to strengthen UK resilience. Furthermore, in 2019, the UK also invested 70 million in ESA’s space safety on Space Weather, the majority of which was towards a mission to greatly improve our ability to forecast space weather events
In 2021, the UK updated its UK Severe Space Weather Preparedness Strategy to further advance national awareness and mitigation of space-weather risks, also noting that the UK “must work closely with international partners to prepare for and respond to this risk”. Thus, the UK welcomes these recommendations as concrete steps that will enhance international collaboration on this important topic.
Thank you Chair.