LONDON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The British government announced on Tuesday that it will allocate more funds to research on prediction of severe space weather events in a bid to better protect satellites.
The government will invest 20 million pounds (25 million U.S. dollars) in improving systems at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Center. The aim is to improve Britain's knowledge of how to forecast and better prepare for such space weather events.
This new fund will be used to look closely at space weather innovation, measurement, modeling and risk assessment, according to a government statement.
Space weather, such as flares or winds from the Sun's surface or geomagnetic storms, can damage satellites and cause power disruptions, issues to air transportation, and problems across communications systems, such as GPS (Global Positioning System) and mobile phone networks.
By predicting when and where space weather events take place, the Met Office can issue warnings and advice that will allow operators to take necessary action, such as manoeuvring satellites and isolating parts of the power network to ensure the least amount of disruption possible.
"The funding announced today will help turn Britain's pioneering research into practical solutions that will protect against any adverse disruption caused by cosmic chaos," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the statement.
