Space weather and risks of space activity

The paper provides an overview of space weather factors and their effects on near-Earth space and space activities. Solar activity and its manifestations in the form of increased flux of high-energy electromagnetic and particle radiation are considered as the main source of space weather presenting danger to cosmonauts, spacecraft (SC) and the International Space Station. It provides a qualitative assessment of direct or indirect impact of space weather factors (galactic cosmic rays (GCR), radiation belts, solar cosmic rays (SCR), electromagnetic emissions) and geomagnetic storms and substorms on radiation hazard for cosmonauts, surface and volume electrization of SC, deterioration of SC solar arrays and materials, soft errors in avionics, anomalous SC deceleration and orbital decay, disruption in radio communications and operation of space radio systems. During strong geomagnetic perturbations and geomagnetic storms there is an increase in the overall danger level resulting from growth in particle radiation level, occurrences of ionospheric disturbances and ionospheric irregularities, swelling of the atmosphere, generation of geomagnetically induced currents, and it becomes easier for high-energy GCR and SCR particles to penetrate into magnetosphere. The paper provides examples of effects of various space weather factors, including extreme cases, on space hardware and technologies.