Mission Planner Solar Storm Warning

Ground Control Software Mission Planner
1

With the recent solar storm activity, I felt it necessary to ask if anyone thinks having a automatic K-Index Warning Alert within the Mission Planner would be a good idea?

With the cost of building and flying these machines, I think it’s wise to have an automated alert window pop-up on Mission Planner to inform pilot that there exists solar activity that could affect navigational systems and possibly prevent loss or damage of the UAV.

At this point I’d like to see if there is support for this idea. If there is, then I will create a request for implementation of this feature to the Mission Planner software.

Space Weather Affects GPD - youtube.com/watch?v=Epk93ATx5v4
K-Index - swpc.noaa.gov/info/Kindex.html

2

As I understand, GPS and magnetometer is affected. How Bad can it be? Not the risk but the cause…
Can the Same esrning be grabed manually before each flight? What K-Index value should stop me to fly?
I like the idea. But I should know the warning Level and the effect it has. I then can decide on which Level I can fly which Mode.
Can you shere more Infos according to us rc-flyers?

3

@nique,
When K-Index is too high (3 and above) there is a good probability that the drone flying and using GPS data will be affected by solar storm activity. Solar flares can interfering with satellites including GPS satellites and their signals being beamed to earth. There is a reasonable expectation that high solar activity will cause your GPS receiver to loose it’s fix and can cause fly-aways. If you fly in manual mode ie., stabilized or any flight mode not using GPS information, you have nothing to worry about. As for compass interference, I’m not sure how much of the earth’s magnetic fields will cause compass errors.

4

For those unfamiliar with GPS interference from Solar activity, I’ve created a couple links for your edification.
http://www.spaceweather.gc.ca/tech/se-gps-eng.php
http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/swac/tutorials/mag_kp.php

5

Located a 3 hour reporting message that states the planetary wide K-Index.
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/wwv.txt

Listed below shows the most current reporting at the time of this posting. This message could be parsed into the Mission Planner as a space weather alert system.

   -------------------------------------------------------------
  :Product: Geophysical Alert Message wwv.txt
  :Issued: 2014 Nov 20 1505 UTC
  # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
  #
  #          Geophysical Alert Message  
  #
  Solar-terrestrial indices for 19 November follow.
  Solar flux 170 and estimated planetary A-index 8.
  The estimated planetary K-index at 1500 UTC on 20 November was 1.

   No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours.

   No space weather storms are predicted for the next 24 hours.
   -------------------------------------------------------------

Note that this format structure does not change, only content specific to dates, times, and values in each of the 3 paragraphs do.

The list below shows three examples pulled from NOAA / Space Weather Prediction Center
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Data/info/WWVdoc.html.

Sample Message
•The messages begin with 6 standard header lines. On NWS systems, this product is called the “Three-hourly Space Weather Conditions and Forecast” and their header contains two additional lines.
•The first paragraph: the dates have leading zeros. The mid-latitude A- and K-indices are normally from Boulder magnetometer, but alternate stations are used when necessary.
•The second and third paragraphs express observed and predicted condition in term of the NOAA Space Weather Scales. See description below.

:Product: Geophysical Alert Message wwv.txt
:Issued: 2007 Nov 21 2105 UTC

Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

Geophysical Alert Message

Solar-terrestrial indices for 21 November follow.
Solar flux 69 and estimated mid-latitude A-Index 12.
The mid-latitude K-index at 2100 UTC on 21 November was 1 (5 nT).

No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours.

No space weather storms are predicted for the next 24 hours.

Sample Message
:Product: Geophysical Alert Message wwv.txt
:Issued: 2002 Feb 06 2105 UTC

Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center

Geophysical Alert Message

Solar-terrestrial indices for 06 February follow.
Solar flux 203 and estimated mid-latitude A-Index 16.
The mid-latitude K-index at 2100 UTC on 06 February was 3 (21 nT).

Space weather for the past 24 hours has been moderate.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level occurred.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S2 level occurred.
Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level occurred.

Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be minor.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level are likely/expected.

Sample Message
:Product: Geophysical Alert Message wwv.txt
:Issued: 2002 Feb 06 0005 UTC

Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center

Geophysical Alert Message

Solar-terrestrial indices for 05 February follow.
Solar flux 221 and mid-latitude A-Index 17.
The mid-latitude K-index at 0000 UTC on 06 February was 3 (36 nT).

Space weather for the past 24 hours has been moderate.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G2 level occurred.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S2 level occurred.
Radio blackouts reaching the R1 level occurred.

Space weather for the next 24 hours is predicted to be extreme.
Geomagnetic storms reaching the G1 level are likely/expected.
Solar radiation storms reaching the S3 level are likely/expected.
Radio blackouts reaching the R5 level are likely/expected

6

I would like to propose that the Mission Planner have somewhere easily displayed a Solar Storm Warning box that alert operator to the changes in the ionosphere due to increase or decrease in storm activity. A simple box with the word “K-Index” followed by a number ranging from 1-9.

Numbers 1-3 should be displayed in green color indicating low solar activity which informs operator that GPS interference in negligible.

Number 3-4 should be displayed in yellow color indicating medium solar activity which informs operator that GPS signals could be sporadic.

Numbers 5-9 should be displayed in red color and flashing to indicate high solar activity which informs operator that GPS interference will happen and could lead to GPS Loss Lock.

In addition to the K-Index and value, I would like to suggest a link to
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/dayind.txt and http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/latest/wwv.txt be provided for operators to review themselves.

I address this as a concerned UAV drone operator that other operators could accidentally fly their drones in autopilot not knowing that they are possibly placing their aircraft in a fly away situation.