Space and space research is a complex field, and radar research is no exception. However, the importance of research in space and in near-Earth space is undeniable.
If we want to continue send rockets and satellites into space, we need to know how not to crash into space debris and we need to know how to make our technology here at Earth secure and resilient, to withstand solar storms.
EISCAT’s radar facilities are used for both basic research, which is driven by curiosity to expand knowledge and theoretical understanding: how charged particles move, how electric currents flow and how energy is transferred in the upper atmosphere during auroral activity. And applied research, which aims to solve concrete, practical problems in society. For example to monitor and model space weather and its effects on technological systems and to study disturbances in the ionosphere that can disrupt satellite communication, GPS navigation and radio signals.
Here we have answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:
EISCAT provides advanced research radar facilities, located in the Arctic, for scientist form all over the world.
EISCAT provides unique radar measurements of the Earth’s upper atmosphere and near-space environment.
These observations are essential for understanding space weather, which can affect satellites, communication and navigation systems, and power grids on the ground.
By enabling long-term research and international collaboration, EISCAT helps improve our ability to monitor, model and predict conditions in near-Earth space.
EISCAT supports space weather research, advances scientific knowledge, contributes to education, and helps protect critical technology and infrastructure.
EISCAT is funded by its member countries through national research organisations and space agencies.
EISCAT is used by scientists, engineers and students from our member countries and the international research community.
EISCAT is also an important resource for education and research, offering opportunities for students and researchers to conduct experiments and develop new methods.
With EISCAT’s radar facilities scientist can study the ionosphere, the upper atmosphere and their interaction with the Sun and near-Earth space.
A few examples of areas where the data from EISCAT can be useful:
- space weather forecasting and risk analysis
- GPS- and radio communication reliability
- space debris mapping
- space plasma physics
- athmospheric physics
- climate
EISCAT_3D will be a new type of research radar system for the scientific study of the Earth’s atmosphere and ionosphere.
It will use a technique called Incoherent Scatter Radar (ISR), the same technique as the old EISCAT system.
It will measure basic physical parameters of the ionospheric plasma and upper atmosphere near the Earth. This kind of system supports the study of phenomena such as the aurora borealis (northern lights) and noctilucent clouds.
The ISR technique bounces radio waves off of free electrons in the ionosphere. These electrons are extremely small and, as a result, high transmitter powers, large antennas, and sensitive receiver electronics are necessary to see any signal at all!
Most of the transmitted signal passes right through the atmosphere and ionosphere and out into space, but the tiny bit that comes back tells us very much about the plasma!
EISCAT_3D will use a transmitter with 1000 W peak power (up to 250 W average power) on each active antenna. With a peak power of 5 MW or an average power of up to 1.25 MW.
No, our facilities are designed to protect both people and wildlife from exposure to high strength radio waves.
A metal fence protect the electronics and antennas from wildlife getting in and from radio waves getting out. Within the fenced area radio waves can be greater than international and local standards allow.
The fence is interlocked to turn off when maintenance personnel are inside the fence, but outside the fence the levels will be well below the allowed intensities. In fact, the system will use the fence itself to ensure that this is the case.
Additionally, the system will be regularly tested by the relevant government agencies and by EISCAT to ensure that there is never a risk to people (or moose) that may stray close to the radar system.
No, our equipment does not affect the weather. Not locally or far away.
It affects the ionosphere at altitudes much higher than where our weather is formed, and it does not percolate down to our levels of the atmosphere.
By our radar facilities we send energy upwards, we can not send it downwards, less than a megawatt (MW) and over a large area. It is negligible in comparison to the amount of energy the earth receives from the sun, which is around 44 quadrillion (4.4 E 16) watts annually.
A megawatt of energy is a lot of energy down at earth if you compare to a light bulb, but it is very small compared to the energy levels in space. A quadrillion watt is about equal to the amount of energy in 45 million tons of coal, or 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or 170 million barrels of crude oil.
Our facilities does not create earthquakes, tsunami waves, hurricanes or any other type of natural disasters at the earth. Our radars only send energy upwards at the atmosphere. Most of the sent energy pass through the atmosphere and leaves out into space. Only a little bit bounces at the atmosphere and comes back down to us. This small amount of energy can not penetrate the ground, because the ground is to dense.
Earthquakes requires a lot of energy to build up in the earth’s tectonic plates, that are located deep in the ground. Therefor it is not possible for us to create earthquakes.
The EISCAT Headquarters is located in Kiruna, Sweden.
Our radar facilities is near Skibotn and Tromsø in Norway, Logyearbyen in Svalbard, Kaiseniemi in Sweden, and Karesuvanto in Finland.
The scientific experiments done with the EISCAT facilities require certain conditions both technically, locationally and scientifically.
Our facilities are all located above the Arctic Circle, in the auroral oval. This give scientists opportunities to explore the unique conditions in the atmosphere and near-Earth space, present in these latitudes.
Our radar stations are located in areas with relatively little cloud cover, which is helpful when combining the radar measurements with optical measurements of, for instance, the aurora borealis.
The areas are also low in population density, to minimize disturbances from mobile phones and radio traffic.
The analysis and results obtained from the measurements are typically published in a variety of peer-reviewed scientific journals. The very large ‘raw’ data files remain the property of EISCAT, but the scientific results are provided to everyone with internet access.
Plots of the measurements will be available for viewing on-line for the majority of experiments.
For scientists to run their own experiments they must either be a member of EISCAT or by competing through a peer-review program.
EISCAT only allows open scientific research programs to be run and operates solely in the civilian sector (no defence-related work is allowed).
Yes, to some extent. However, most objects that will show up in the data are not of interest for the scientist. The reflections from these objects are too strong and will hide the scientific data the system is interested in receiving.
For example, EISCAT_3D transmit array will be placed in a valley to limit the number of aircraft in its field of view.
Satellites are an other particular problem because they travel through the region of space that the radar is primarily interested in. The reflections from satellites is carefully removed from the data before the scientist can use it.
The system will also be able to see micro-meteors, which come from sand grain sized particles that fall into the top of the atmosphere all the time and this is another area of study by the EISCAT scientists.
Space debris will also show up in the data, this is also a filed of research for EISCAT scientist.