AI for Predicting Space Weather Disruptions

Auroras and Satellite Risks

In the summer of 2024, people across North America enjoyed stunning auroras in the night sky. But the same solar activity that causes auroras can disrupt satellites. These satellites are vital for GPS, communication, and navigation systems on Earth. To protect them, scientists are turning to artificial intelligence (AI).

NASA’s Frontier Development Lab

The Frontier Development Lab (FDL) in Mountain View, California, is a partnership between NASA and leading AI companies. Since 2016, FDL has applied machine learning to challenges in planetary defense, heliophysics, Earth science, medicine, and lunar exploration.

KX Systems and AI Innovation

KX Systems, known for its analytics software kdb+, usually serves the financial industry. But between 2017 and 2019, the company partnered with NASA’s Ames Research Center and FDL to test new uses of kdb+. Together, they explored how AI could improve exoplanet searches and predict solar storms.

By analyzing datasets on the ionosphere, solar activity, and Earth’s magnetic field, the team developed AI models that predicted disruptive space weather events up to 24 hours in advance.

From Space to Industry

These AI models didn’t just help NASA. Some of the methods now power KX’s commercial products. For example, techniques once used to detect satellite signal losses are now applied to predict maintenance needs in industrial manufacturing.

The Power of Collaboration

KX Systems, a division of FD Technologies plc., credits its NASA collaboration for boosting its AI-driven growth. From protecting satellites to improving industry performance, the partnership proves that combining NASA’s expertise with private innovation creates lasting impact.