Navigating New Frontiers: Space Weather in the Arctic and Beyond Earth

By Suzy Bingham & Iulia Chifu  

Two of the plenary sessions in the ESWW schedule are dedicated to key areas shaping the future of space weather. Each will begin with scene-setting talks, designed to frame engaging and thought-provoking panel discussions. On Monday morning, attention will turn to one of the community’s most pressing issues: “Space Weather Challenges in the Arctic.” On Friday, the closing plenary will take us beyond Earth with “Space Weather at the Moon, Mars, and Beyond: Recent Advancements, Observations, and Future Opportunities for Exploration.

Monday morning plenary: as high-latitude regions experience technological growth - driven by military operations, commercial ventures, scientific research, and increasing auroral tourism – their dependence on critical infrastructure is increasing. This makes them increasingly susceptible to space weather hazards such as HF radio disruptions, GPS inaccuracies, geomagnetically induced currents, and risks from space debris during rocket launches. 

The panel brings together experts and stakeholders: 

• Peter Löfwenberg (Climate and Space Weather Officer, Swedish Armed Forces, collaboration with NATO, Sweden)
• Thomas Ulich (Head of Science, EISCAT, Sweden)
• Magnar G. Johnsen (Head of Observatory, UiT, Norway)
• Yana Maneva (Space Weather Operations/Pegasus, ROB, Belgium)
• Sarah Schultz Beek (Postdoc, Space Weather Arctic Defense Operation, DTU Space, Denmark) 

The panelists will share perspectives on operational risks, the critical need for ongoing scientific innovation, and the role of service providers in protecting Arctic infrastructure. Together, their insights will help chart strategies for strengthening resilience in this evolving technological landscape.

Friday morning plenary: recent observations on the lunar surface are revealing how space weather affects local conditions and technologies. Meanwhile, spacecraft orbiting and operating on Mars offer opportunities to study solar transients out to 1.5 AU, helping us trace their impacts from the planetary environment down to the surface. 

The session will spotlight international collaborations and mission-driven research that are advancing our understanding of space weather in these frontier regions. The panel will explore emerging opportunities – from addressing data and infrastructure gaps to refining models that improve forecasting. The panel will feature leading voices in planetary space weather: 

• Mark Lester (University of Leicester)
• Yaireska Collado-Vega (NOAA NESDIS Space Weather Observations Office)
• Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
• Iannis Dandouras (IRAP/CNRS)

who will share recent breakthroughs in assessing and predicting space weather across the Moon and Mars environments and highlight areas for development. A special focus will be given to the impactful solar events of May 2024, which were observed to influence both lunar and Martian environments from multiple vantage points.