Portuguese Technology Monitors Space Weather
Holos is part of the consortium of European companies and research centres responsible for the system that went into operation at the European Space Agency (ESA), to monitor and forecast the "state of the weather" in space ("Space Weather").
The system, called SEISOP (Space Environment Information System for Operations), went into operation this February, having been developed by a consortium that includes, in addition to Holos, Portuguese, Spanish and German companies, respectively: DEIMOS Engenharia, DEIMOS Space, INTA and VEGA, as well as the also Portuguese UNINOVA (Instituto de Desenvolvimento de Novas Tecnologias), an entity of the national Scientific and Technological System, for the OPS-HSC (the Advanced Mission Concepts and Technologies division) of ESOC, the European Space Operations Center.
The project began in October 2008 and had as its main objective the development of an Information System that would allow the import, processing and analysis of data relating to space weather (Space Weather), coming from ground-based data sources (spread around the world) and space-based ones (satellites in orbit) that monitor parameters such as X-ray emissions, neutron storms, and so on, with a view to developing forecasting models that can anticipate space weather conditions and help minimise risks to spacecraft and human crews.
The main modules of the System allow monitoring and analysis, forecasting, alarm definition, access to data from multiple sources, and the generation of reports on the information obtained.
Holos's role focused on the development of two key components: the "metadata" system that allows the exchange of information between the various modules of the system, and the alarm system that monitors the various parameters of the system and triggers alarms when critical situations arise (whether in the recorded data or in data resulting from forecasts).
The system was delivered by ESA/ESOC to the "Space Situation Awareness" Programme, which aims to provide Europe, its citizens and satellite-based services with information about the risks from Space, in particular the objects orbiting the Earth, Space Weather and the other threats coming from Space. SEISOP is therefore a central component in the service of this Programme.